Given Hapunda

18 Introduction ‘When decision makers want to use evidence from M&E systems to assist in making choices, there is a demand for M&E’ ( Porter et al., 2013 :1). This chapter focuses on the genesis of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in Africa, from the 1980s to the present time, focusing on both the positive aspects and identification of gaps within this space. The initial phase of M&E in Africa was donor-driven and then later it also became a product of emerging endogenous demand from African governments for evidence. In this regard, M&E was and still is “viewed as a key element in the transformation of the public sector to be efficient, effective and responsive to citizens and parliament (Porter et al ., 2013). What is Monitoring & Evaluation? Conceptually, M&E is widely used in African discourses unlike international literature where evaluation or programme evaluation is used. In its ordinary usage, monitoring means observing the progress of an intervention and is continuous. According to Porter et al., (2013) monitoring helps managers and policy-makers to understand what the money invested is producing and whether plans are being followed. Evaluation is an activity that judges the worth (Scriven, 2007), and builds on monitoring although it can also feed into monitoring itself. Evaluation assesses the value or worth of a programme (Farell et a l., 2002), and it relates to a set of research questions and methods geared to reviewing processes, activities and strategies for the purpose of improving them in order to achieve better results (Kahan & Goodstadt, 2005). There is a clear link between M&E, good governance and sound development. M&E can help countries in Africa to meet the development and governance challenges they experience (World Bank, 2001). M&E allows to track programme processes and to account for invested funds (accountability function). At the same time, M&E provides crucial information for decision making (management function), and to identify best practices as well as to detect gaps and weaknesses in implemented programmes and it enables the organisation to address these (learning function). M&E using participatory methods Monitoring and evaluation using participatory methods differs from conventional M&E, which involves outside experts coming in countries to measure performance of programmes, projects and policies using predefined indicators using standardised procedures and tools (Dillon, 2013). Participatory monitoring & evaluation (PM&E) is a process through which primary stakeholders at various levels engage,