Developing Monitoring and Evaluation Plans for Malaria Social and Behavior Change Programs: A Step-by-Step Guide

"...a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system must be the foundation of an SBC program."

First published in February 2014, this document introduces the elements of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan for malaria social and behaviour change (SBC) programmes. It seeks to help countries and implementers draft strong M&E plans for SBC proposals and work plans and to help staff manage SBC activities.

In the context of malaria control programmes, social and behaviour change (SBC) helps ensure that communities seek prevention, diagnostic, and treatment services and that they use drugs and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) properly. The Roll Back Malaria Social and Behavior Change Communication (RBM SBCC) Working Group holds that a comprehensive M&E system must be the foundation of an SBC programme. An M&E plan is a management tool that shows staff, donors, and stakeholders how the programe will answer programmatic questions, demonstrate results, and be accountable for project resources.

The guide covers the monitoring and evaluation needs and data sources for before, during, and after a malaria SBC programme. These include:

• formative research and pretesting before the start of the intervention, which is necessary to identify the context-specific barriers to behavioural and social change and to ensure the intended audiences accept the SBC materials and approaches;
• output and outcome monitoring, which takes place periodically during the life of the programme and ensures that programmes are implemented well and that programme managers are able to track whether the desired changes are beginning to take effect; and
• impact evaluation, which occurs 7-12 months after the start of the intervention and helps organisations and countries maximise effectiveness, as the results help them learn from previous experiences and adapt proven strategies.

The guide includes the following sections:

1. Steps to Developing an M&E Plan
2. Elements of an M&E Plan
   • Background - This section in the M&E plan offers a situational analysis and outlines the purpose of the plan.
   • Conceptual Model or Framework - This section looks at how to develop a conceptual model or framework which is used to illustrate the logical progression between activities and the expected results.
   • Indicators and Targets - The indicators show how programmes measure progress toward a specific objective. Guidance for this section of the plan is given using indicators from the Indicator Reference Guide (see Related Summaries below).
   • Monitoring Plan - This section covers different sources of monitoring data (e.g., activity or media reports, and surveys), and how to obtain this data and ensure quality.
   • Research and Evaluation - This section describes the studies planned and the research questions they are intended to address, including any needs assessments/formative research activities; and baseline, midline, and final evaluations.
   • Data Use and Knowledge Management - This section briefly looks at how the results should be communicated to stakeholders at different stages of the project.
3. The Annex - includes a sample budget for M&E of SBC activities.