Given Hapunda

iii Preface The Handbook of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation for Projects, Programmes and Policies is an exciting contribution to theory, research and practice of locally and internationally funded development projects, programmes and policies; as such, it is one of the primary sources for the field. It has taken over three years to put together this volume. The topic coverage and wide spectrum of authors who have contributed to this volume explains why it has taken this long. Therefore, the publication of this volume is an extraordinary achievement. It is a timely and impressive volume from many of today’s leading scholars and practitioners of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation, a perspective that is much misunderstood and under applied by mainstream practitioners and users of Monitoring and Evaluation. The volume includes a motley of theoretical and practical overviews of the discipline. As such, it serves both to introduce the participatory perspective to scholars, practitioners and students who are unfamiliar with it and to illustrate ways in which participatory thinking and application in Monitoring and Evaluation can inform impact oriented project, programme and policy implementation. It would make a good textbook for instructors in search of material to advance the field of Monitoring and Evaluation and stimulate the thinking of students on how Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation is implemented. Also how it is important for project owners, citizen civic responsibility and result based project management. Given Hapunda University of Zambia