A continuing function that uses systematic collection of data on specified indicators to provide management and the main stakeholders of an ongoing development intervention with indications of the extent of progress and achievement of objectives and progress in the use of allocated funds (OECD, 2002: 27).
OECD. 2002. Glossary of key terms in evaluation and results based management. Paris: OECD.
While planning presupposes the existence of a plan, implementing it and monitoring its achievements inevitably call for special monitoring mechanisms and instruments. The failure of many development programmes is often due to shortcomings observed at the planning level. Having a monitoring–evaluation system in place would allow both measuring achieved progress and learning from past experience (Sylla, 2013: 2).
Sylla, Khadim. 2013. "Tools and planning support systems". IIEP newsletter 31 (1): 2.