Well, let's start by saying Happy New Year! IT'S 2025!

Believe it or not, the new year is here already, bringing a fresh canvas of possibilities and motivation to embrace new resolutions! We are diving into the spirit of renewal and setting goals that inspire and motivate us! 🌟 One of our resolutions this year is to "Simplify reporting in M&E."
Sure, this is not your typical goal, like getting healthier or saving money. Still, this year, we will not make challenges with diverse stakeholder interests, mixed data (qualitative and quantitative), or changing contexts cause us not to do justice by the social initiatives we monitor or risk mismanagement by not being diligent in our reporting.
To ensure we are resolute in simplifying reporting in M&E, we must first look at some problems that complicate reporting in the first place. One of those things is not having a consistent structure. We know that M&E reports differ in size, scope, frequency, and requirements based on the audience you are writing for. Therefore, this post isn't intended to tell you everything that could go on in your M&E report but to remind you of three things you never want to forget when writing your reports. How detailed you make each section is up to you.
Background and Introduction
Anyone should be able to skim your report and understand your programme quickly. This is why having a "Background and Introduction" section at the beginning of your report is helpful. In this section, you provide an overview of the initiative, its stage during the reporting period, the stakeholders involved, etc.
Key Findings: Goals, Indicator Progress & Lessons Learned (So Far)
Okay, okay! We will admit that this section is three parts in one, but that's because they are a package deal. The core of M&E is to ensure that the goals are achieved. Therefore, your report should always emphasise the goals and objectives as measured by indicators. These clarify what the programme hopes to achieve, how success has been defined, and the current level of achievement. But don't leave your readers hanging! They need a few of the tantalizing details. Give a synopsis of the back story on how your participants achieved the results through the programme and the challenges they face or have overcome. Then, tie it all together and finish strong with conclusions based on your data and experience to date, followed by actionable next steps highlighting your lessons learned.
Data Sources and Limitations
Finally, there is no perfect programme, so be transparent about how you calculated the wins and where you had gaps. Your report is the culmination of data collection and analysis efforts. Providing insight into how the data was collected, what sources were used, the analyses applied, and the limitations of the data can help with an overall understanding of the findings and their interpretation.
With all that said, let us stay resolute in our reporting without complicating the process. At EvaluCore, we believe that the resolutions that are easiest to stick to are the ones you have support for, so reach out to us, and we can accomplish this goal together!
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