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Curriculum and its operative application have always been of key importance in educational system and its significance increases when it comes to higher education. The importance of an efficient and effective curriculum is acknowledged in recent studies, but the mechanisms used for preparation of curriculum are still human-intensive, tedious, and ineffective. There is a need to follow systematic and methodological approach to design curricula that is compliant with the standard bodies of knowledge. We aim to design a new approach for enabling Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to effectively monitor and evaluate existing undergraduate curricula against a standard body of knowledge. This study is part of a large research project where Software Requirements Engineering (SRE) course has been taken as a test case to empirically validate the proposed approach. A standard, reusable, and extendable concept map of SRE using the SRE Knowledge Area (KA) of the software engineering body of knowledge (SWEBOK) has been constructed. We have performed qualitatively analysis of the undergraduate SRE course of three universities to check their compliance with standard SRE knowledge. We have followed a semi-automated approach to identify missing concepts, analyze the hierarchical organization of concepts, and present misconceptions among concepts in the SRE course. The knowledge inferred from this process will be useful for HEIs to effectively monitor and evaluate SRE course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing diverse and complex socio-ecological challenges is crucial for achieving ocean sustainability. This is especially true for effective fishery management, which is vital for the sustainability of marine resources. One way of overcoming barriers to fisheries reform is through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative management and policy approaches. One such approach is market incentives offered by eco-certification against sustainability standards, such as those set by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Complementary interventions that support sustainability improvements are fishery improvement projects (FIPs) and MSC pathway projects. These interventions have clear intermediary and final objectives, and monitoring impact throughout the implementation process remains important. We interviewed participants of a pathway project from five fisheries in South Africa and Mexico using semistructured interviews designed to capture the nonmonetary impacts of these projects as they progress. Our results show that interventions can play a role in facilitating broader collaboration within a fishery and across stakeholder groups, increasing sustainability awareness. Emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement and collaboration, we highlight how the project implementation process can lead to communication changes that lead to improved understanding and collaboration. Importantly, we reflect on the suitability of the survey in monitoring progress in such projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among many by-products of Web 2.0 come the wide range of potential image and text datasets within social media and content sharing platforms that speak of how people live, what they do, and what they care about. These datasets are imperfect and biased in many ways, but those flaws make them complementary to data derived from conventional social science methods and thus potentially useful for triangulation in complex decision-making contexts. Yet the online environment is highly mutable, and so the datasets are less reliable than censuses or other standard data types leveraged in social impact assessment. Over the past decade, we have innovated numerous methods for deploying Instagram datasets in investigating management or development alternatives. This article synthesizes work from three Canadian decision contexts – hydroelectric dam construction or removal; dyke realignment or wetland restoration; and integrating renewable energy into vineyard landscapes – to illustrate some of the methods we have applied to social impact assessment questions using Instagram that may be transferrable to other social media platforms and contexts: thematic (manual coding, machine vision, natural language processing/sentiment analysis, statistical analysis), spatial (hotspot mapping, cultural ecosystem modeling), and visual (word clouds, saliency mapping, collage). We conclude with a set of cautions and next steps for the domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the role of the Village Consultative Body (BPD) in monitoring and evaluation (Monev) to improve the performance of Sihare'o Siwahili Village government. The research method used is qualitative with primary and secondary data sources. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The results showed that the BPD has carried out the monitoring indicators well, including setting standards, measuring, and comparing. In addition, evaluation by the BPD has also been conducted, measuring the effectiveness, adequacy, and quality of village government work. However, there are several inhibiting factors faced by the BPD, such as the lack of welfare of BPD members, limited decision-making authority, and bias in the monitoring and evaluation process. Thus, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the BPD's role in M&E to improve village government performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although significant progress has been achieved over many decades, sustaining the success of family planning programs in Indonesia requires a deep understanding of the factors that influence community satisfaction among those involved. This study surveyed 503 Family Planning Field Workers (PKBs) across Indonesia's regions to identify the main factors encouraging satisfaction among communities participating in these programs. A structured online questionnaire was distributed to collect data on the sociodemographic factors influencing satisfaction, which were then analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results showed that effective follow-up on community feedback (β = 0.233, p < 0.001), implementing a rights-based approach (β = 0.207, p < 0.001), enabling community participation (β = 0.147, p < 0.001), collaborating with healthcare providers and facilities (β = 0.159, p < 0.001), and monitoring and evaluating programs (β = 0.155, p < 0.001) were significant positive predictors. More notable, the regression model accounted for a considerable 74.7% of the variation in community satisfaction, pointing to how significant the explanatory power of the identified factors was in predicting the level of satisfaction among communities participating in family planning programs. Actions must be developed to enhance reproductive health and manage population growth by focusing on key factors such as responsive communication, rights, integrated services, community involvement, and evaluations, which are what matters most for family planning programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The elderly aged 60-64 years are 52.3%. The average elderly visit per month is only 48% of registered seniors. The highest coverage of Posyandu activities for the elderly is health checks (95%) and the lowest skill training (65%). Research Objectives: This study aims to analyze the factors that affect the effectiveness of the Integrated Service Post for the Elderly in the Banda Aceh City Health Center. Research Methods: A type of observational research that uses a cross-sectional design. The population in this study includes all elderly people in 3 (three) Puksesmas of Banda Aceh City, namely Kopelma Darussalam, Ulee Kareng and Batoh. The sample in this study is 271 elderly people. The statistical analysis used is Partial Least Square with smartPLS 3.0. Results: There was an influence on the role of health workers (t= 26.771; p=0.000), elderly participation (t=1.807; p=0.035), availability of facilities and infrastructure (t=2.859; p=0.004), accessibility to (t=6.778; p=0.026), cross-sectoral cooperation (t=1.154; p=0.043), monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of elderly posyandu in the Banda Aceh City Health Center (t=4,668; p=0.000), The factor that most affects the effectiveness of the elderly posyandu in Banda Aceh City is the role of health workers (t=26,771; p=0.000). Conclusion: The role of health workers, the participation of the elderly, the availability of infrastructure, accessibility, cross-sectoral cooperation and monitoring and evaluation affect the effectiveness of posyandu in Banda Aceh City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While discourse about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has primarily focused on 'whether the goals' are achieved, there remains limited understanding of how developed countries organize their monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, which play a crucial role in tracking progress towards the SDGs. In this contribution, we unpack the M&E frameworks of Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. To do so, we have devised an analytical heuristic that combines insights from the literature on policy performance measurement and measurement infrastructures with the more specific literature on SDG governance. Through document analysis and elite interviews conducted in 2021, our findings highlight similarity in underdeveloped M&E frameworks, rather than significant variation across the three case studies. The results do not suggest a linkage between SDG performance and the development of M&E frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the implementation of the outcome seven (7) by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, with a focus on Youth in Agriculture and Rural development. Outcome seven (7) was aimed at the vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities and food security for all. The following five outputs Sustainable agrarian reform, Improved access to affordable and diverse food, Rural services and sustainable livelihoods, Rural job creation linked to skills training and promoting economic livelihoods and enabling institutional environment for sustainable and inclusive growth. Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development (YARD) is a youth structure that was established nationally following a national conference and subsequently endorsed by the government to function as of 30 November 2007. This study will focus on Vaal Sedibeng District Municipality, situated in the South of Gauteng Province-because it is one of the farming hubs. The qualitative method was applied in the form of questionnaires, to selected Youth farming areas, since the agriculture sector is dominated by livestock production with Africa's largest cattle feedlot and the country's biggest producer of swine. Crops are grown throughout the province including vegetables, maize, cotton, ground nuts, and sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The risk management program will run well with commitment and good management. This study aims to describe the experience of nurse managers in implementing risk management in hospitals. Research methodology: this study used a descriptive qualitative approach. The data collection technique used Focus Group Interviews with 12 nurse managers consisting of 1 Head of Sub Installation, 7 Head nurses, and 4 Team Leaders. Interviews were carried out three times, and each implementation consisted of four participants. Analysis using thematic content and consolidation for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) was used as a guide to research reporting. The research found three inhibiting factors in implementing risk management: 1) Busyness, 2) Lack of knowledge, and 3) Lack of structured monitoring and evaluation. Conclusion: The active participation of nurse managers in implementing risk management is very influential in the successful implementation of risk management in hospitals. Good time management, increasing the level of knowledge, and supported by a systematic risk management monitoring-evaluation system means that risk management will be carried out well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to identify the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) practices at the secondary school level in Pakistan that described the practices and their outcomes in various school aspects in Pakistan. The study analyzed the existing monitoring and evaluation practices at the secondary school level in Pakistan, to identify the gaps in existing monitoring and evaluation practices and to propose a strategy for bridging the gaps in the existing monitoring and evaluation system to enhance the operations of secondary schools in Pakistan. The principals’ opinions were gathered through a questionnaire while Regional Directors were interviewed to verify and cross-check the opinions of principals. Concurrent triangulation research design of mixed methods was used to take the qualitative and quantitative data for analysis to reach the conclusions. The population of the study consists of 12 Regional Directors (RDs), and 186 secondary school principals of Federal Govt Educational Institutions (FGEI) Cantonments and Garrisons (C/G). Census sampling technique was used and all the population of 12 RDs, and 186 principals of FGEI (C/G) Pakistan were taken as samples of the study. Validity of research tools were carried out through field experts while reliability was checked through Cronbach Alpha. The collected data were analyzed by the latest (version 2024) of SPSS. Mean and standard deviation were used as descriptive statistics while Chi-square was used as inferential statistics to check the significance of the statements. Interviews were conducted for 12 RDs for in-depth understanding and the interviews’ data were analyzed theme-wise through thematic analysis. The major findings revealed that the existing M&E practices in majority of the schools are traditional and are carried out without using any M&E model, emerging technology and independent body of external evaluators. In majority of the institutions only internal evaluation is conducted due to insufficient financial, material and human resources therefore, the existing M&E practices have low reliability and objectivity. Findings of the current study revealed that there is a need of M&E framework, using technologies, independent body of external evaluators. On the basis of the results of the study, a monitoring and evaluation model was proposed at the secondary school level so that it could include all the proposed equipment in the existing M&E system to improve the quality of academics, administration, infrastructure, physical facilities, and co-curricular activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural stormwater treatment systems (NTS) are built ecosystems designed to capture and treat stormwater runoff via natural processes. Although NTS design typically targets water services, the biological communities associated with NTS (i.e., plants, animals, and microbes) can provide non-targeted functions that can result in ecosystem services, such as biodiversity, pollination, and climate regulation, or in some cases disservices. Additional co-benefits of NTS include recreation, education and outreach opportunities, and aesthetic value. A review of NTS ecosystem services and co-benefits is provided with specific examples from Los Angeles County, highlighting the need for ecosystem services indicators, standard measurements, and monitoring. As NTS become globally widespread, best practices must include the ability to holistically assess NTS performance in ways that extend beyond water treatment services. Three models are presented that can be used to evaluate NTS performance. Such information can be important in advancing NTS design, choosing spatial placement, and making choices between NTS and more traditional stormwater treatment options.

Abstract Background Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is a highly effective intervention for preventing malaria, particularly in areas with highly seasonal transmission. Monitoring and evaluating (M&E) SMC programmes are complex due to the scale, time-sensitive delivery of the programme, and influence of external factors. This paper describes the process followed to develop a comprehensive M&E framework tailored specifically for the SMC context. Methods The Framework was developed through a literature and programme review, and stakeholder dialogues across three implementing countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, and Nigeria. Expert consultation further refined the Framework through an iterative approach drawing upon data collected through the three sources. The Framework was designed using the Logical Framework Approach incorporating external factors and intentionally aligned with global malaria M&E standards. Results An overall aim and seven programme objectives were developed measured by 70 indicators. The indicators also capture the causal links between the implementation and results of the programme. The Framework leverages the use of current data sources and existing mechanisms, ensuring efficient data use without requiring a significant increase in resources for overall programme optimization. It also promotes the use of data triangulation, and stratification for a more nuanced understanding of factors affecting programme performance and timely data informed decision-making. Conclusions The SMC M&E Framework presented here provides a standardized approach for programme implementers to enhance decision-making for optimal programme performance. This is an essential tool as the scope of SMC programmes expands to new geographies and target age groups.

Abstract Traditionally, ecosystem restoration has focussed on standard ecological indicators like water or habitat quality, species population abundance or vegetation cover to determine success. However, there is growing interest in how restoration might impact people and communities. For example, researchers have documented positive socio‐ecological links between restoration and human well‐being indicators like property value, natural hazard mitigation, recreation opportunity and happiness. Furthermore, public health benefits from restoration have been linked to public support for programmes. Drawing from this research, the United Nations declared 2021–2030 the ‘Decade of Ecosystem Restoration’ and set a goal to promote more socio‐ecological goals in ecosystem restoration. Nonetheless, there is still a lack of information on the extent to which restoration practitioners consider well‐being because many granting programmes only require ecological goals and monitoring. To explore how restoration practitioners design, implement and measure the success of their projects, we used the federally funded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) as a case study. Since 2010, GLRI has awarded over $3.5 Billion to over 5300 projects across the midwestern United States, but it does not presently require human well‐being considerations. We performed an online survey targeting project managers with a sample of GLRI projects (N = 1574). We received 437 responses and found that almost half set a human well‐being goal, and more than 70% of those who did believe they reached it. In comparison, 90% of project managers believed they met their ecological goals. These documented perceptions of positive impacts for both people and nature suggest that restoration may already transcend traditional indicators and monitoring for socio‐ecological metrics could capture many ‘unseen’ benefits. Therefore, we recommend that ecosystem restoration programmes adopt a socio‐ecological lens to document the full extent of their restoration outcomes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

We conducted the present study to assess the spatial and temporal variations of selected physicochemical water quality parameters, to quantify the level of ecological risks of disturbances occurring, and to understand the relationship between the selected disturbances observed and physicochemical parameters of surface water of sampling sites of the Kirala Kele wetland. We selected sampling sites to reflect different land uses in the Kirala Kele wetland using purposive sampling and collected triplicated surface water samples to assess quality of water. The sampling sites of wetland characterization and risk assessment were followed using the protocol by Escom. We found that there was a significant temporal variation of pH, electrical conductivity, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen content among sampling sites (p > 0.05, One-Way ANOVA), however, spatial variation of electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen was significantly higher in site 9, site 10, and site 11, respectively (p > 0.05, One-Way ANOVA). Site 2, site 5, site 10, and site 11 showed a category B level in wetland characterization and risk assessment highlighting the few levels of modifications and largely natural status of sites. The study demonstrates the applicability of this model for rapid assessment of wetland characteristics and risks to sustainably conserve and manage wetlands. HIGHLIGHTS Study showed a relationship with variation of water quality parameters and ecological risks in the Kirala Kele wetland.; Wetland characterization revealed ‘category B’ levels in Sites 2, 5, 10, and 11.; Other sampling sites showed ‘category C’ with moderate disturbances in the Kirala Kele wetland.; This study suggests the need for an integrated wetland management approach and continuous monitoring to conserve the wetland.;

Background Establishment of a systematic way of measurement and utilization of indicators for improvement is one of the most challenging issues in monitoring and evaluation of indicators in healthcare settings. In realizing these fundamental challenges, we designed a monitoring and evaluation system incorporating a hospital-wide quality variance report (QVR) system using linked Microsoft Excel® spreadsheets on Microsoft SharePoint®. Methods Indicators were determined at the departmental/unit level in line with the institutional goals, departmental functions, quality expectations, inputs/outputs, clinical priorities, compliance to policies/procedures/protocols/guidelines/pathways as well as in response to gaps in service delivery picked during root cause analyses. The sample design was determined in accordance with the characteristics of the population. Drawing of sample units was done using a simple random sampling technique without replacement or systematic random sampling. The indicator’s monitoring was enhanced visually by allocating colour codes based on performance across the months and quarters. The action plan tab consisted of a platform that aids in documenting corrective actions arising from the performance reviews. Results and discussion The QVR reporting system ensured a standardized format of monitoring throughout the institution with a reduced turnaround time from data collection to analysis. Further, continuity of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system was guaranteed even if an individual left the institution. The analysis of the QVR allowed hospital-wide trending on cross-cutting indicators with consequent ease of communication to multiple stakeholders. The automation has saved time and increased accuracy which has enhanced credible engagements during quality meetings. Conclusions Use of this system greatly enhanced quality performance monitoring in the hospital, identification of major bottlenecks that warranted hospital-wide projects or departmental-level projects. The QVR system enhanced the efficiency and accuracy of quality monitoring from data collection through to performance reviews. The QVR structure allows for customized development of an M&E database application software.

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic presents unique challenges that necessitate a new approach to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in local government. The culture of poor performance, high incompetency levels among employees and financial mismanagement – widely publicised in popular media in South Africa – prompted this study to investigate the effectiveness of M&E strategies. The study attempts to determine the effective M&E strategies in supporting two municipalities’ response that extends beyond COVID-19. A transformative mixed methods approach was used for data collection and analysis of data. The targeted respondents were solely responsible for COVID-19 activities at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. In-depth interviews were utilised to collect data from 13 senior municipal managers. A total of 191 questionnaires were despatched to municipal employees and 186 were returned, giving a 97% response rate. The findings depict ineffective M&E tools and inadequate organisational support to sustain best practices on municipal governance. The findings unearthed a linear relationship between the municipalities’ leadership failure to implement a performance management system among its workforce and an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases and fatalities. This study attempts to make a valuable contribution in providing municipal employees with tailored work experience that will be relevant for future disasters similar to COVID-19, adding value to knowledge.

AbstractThis study investigated stakeholder perception of sixty-six years of guidance service delivery in Ghana. An explanatory sequential mixed method was used. A total of 413 respondents were sampled from a study population of 17, 743 for the quantitative and twelve (12) participants were also sampled for the qualitative perspectives of the study. The numeric data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods, while the qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis and pattern matching. The study revealed that there were significantly negative stakeholder opinions regarding basic school guidance services (GS). Responsible factors included a lack of adequate and competent guidance service coordinators, a lack of remuneration for guidance service delivery, and failure to capture GS on the teaching timetable, among other factors. Therefore, it is recommended that the Ghana Education Service, representing the Government of Ghana, should employ adequate and competent guidance service coordinators to ensure effective and satisfactory service delivery.

This case study describes the country-level response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya between February 2020 and May 2021. We organize the presentation of COVID-19 response strategies across the five stages of (a) engagement, (b) assessment, (c) planning, (d) action/implementation, and (e) evaluation. We describe the participatory monitoring and evaluation (M&E) process implemented in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Africa Monitoring and Evaluation Team. The M&E system was used to organize and make sense of emerging data regarding specific response activities and changing COVID incidence. We share the results of that collaborative sensemaking, with particular attention to our analysis of the factors that facilitated and those that impeded our pandemic response. We conclude with lessons learned and practical implications from Kenya's experience to help guide future country-level responses to rapidly changing public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human‐wildlife coexistence as a concept and management objective has received increasing attention from researchers and decision makers. The coexistence approach will benefit from the recognition that, at broader scales, human‐wildlife interactions (HWI) are best understood and managed collaboratively and as complex systems, that is, dynamic, non‐linear, emergent, adaptive and, therefore, unpredictable. We present a planning process for human‐wildlife coexistence that provides a platform for collaboration between researchers and decision‐makers—and other stakeholders as well—and recognizes the complex nature of HWI. The three elements that define the process are: coexistence instead of conservation or conflict mitigation as a goal, systems thinking as the approach, and an emphasis on verifiable results rather than actions. As a way of illustration, we describe a 3‐day planning workshop for human‐jaguar coexistence in the Pantanal, Brazil. The 15 participants representing the academic, governmental, and non‐profit sectors identified 12 interactions directly involving 27 stakeholders and indirectly another 55. A theory of change was produced, connecting 20 actions—to be performed by 22 actors—with the 57 factors that directly and indirectly drive the interactions. How these results complement other approaches such as Action Plans is discussed. The proposed approach favors the pragmatism of adaptive co‐management over the often unrealistic expectation of a linear path to solution, or in other words, a shift from the notion of human‐wildlife coexistence as a quantifiable target to that of coexistence as a desired system state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is a highly effective intervention for preventing malaria, particularly in areas with highly seasonal transmission. Monitoring and evaluating (M&E) SMC programmes are complex due to the scale, time-sensitive delivery of the programme, and influence of external factors. This paper describes the process followed to develop a comprehensive M&E framework tailored specifically for the SMC context. Methods: The Framework was developed through a literature and programme review, and stakeholder dialogues across three implementing countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, and Nigeria. Expert consultation further refined the Framework through an iterative approach drawing upon data collected through the three sources. The Framework was designed using the Logical Framework Approach incorporating external factors and intentionally aligned with global malaria M&E standards. Results: An overall aim and seven programme objectives were developed measured by 70 indicators. The indicators also capture the causal links between the implementation and results of the programme. The Framework leverages the use of current data sources and existing mechanisms, ensuring efficient data use without requiring a significant increase in resources for overall programme optimization. It also promotes the use of data triangulation, and stratification for a more nuanced understanding of factors affecting programme performance and timely data informed decision-making. Conclusions: The SMC M&E Framework presented here provides a standardized approach for programme implementers to enhance decision-making for optimal programme performance. This is an essential tool as the scope of SMC programmes expands to new geographies and target age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Traditionally, ecosystem restoration has focussed on standard ecological indicators like water or habitat quality, species population abundance or vegetation cover to determine success. However, there is growing interest in how restoration might impact people and communities. For example, researchers have documented positive socio‐ecological links between restoration and human well‐being indicators like property value, natural hazard mitigation, recreation opportunity and happiness. Furthermore, public health benefits from restoration have been linked to public support for programmes.Drawing from this research, the United Nations declared 2021–2030 the 'Decade of Ecosystem Restoration' and set a goal to promote more socio‐ecological goals in ecosystem restoration. Nonetheless, there is still a lack of information on the extent to which restoration practitioners consider well‐being because many granting programmes only require ecological goals and monitoring.To explore how restoration practitioners design, implement and measure the success of their projects, we used the federally funded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) as a case study. Since 2010, GLRI has awarded over $3.5 Billion to over 5300 projects across the midwestern United States, but it does not presently require human well‐being considerations. We performed an online survey targeting project managers with a sample of GLRI projects (N = 1574). We received 437 responses and found that almost half set a human well‐being goal, and more than 70% of those who did believe they reached it. In comparison, 90% of project managers believed they met their ecological goals.These documented perceptions of positive impacts for both people and nature suggest that restoration may already transcend traditional indicators and monitoring for socio‐ecological metrics could capture many 'unseen' benefits. Therefore, we recommend that ecosystem restoration programmes adopt a socio‐ecological lens to document the full extent of their restoration outcomes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual and community-level COVID-19 mitigation policies can have effects beyond direct COVID-19 health outcomes, including social, behavioral, and economic outcomes. These social, behavioral, and economic outcomes can extend beyond the pandemic period and have disparate effects on populations. Public Health–Seattle & King County (PHSKC) built on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's community mitigation strategy framework to create a local project tracking near–real-time data to understand factors affected by mitigation approaches, inform decision-making, and monitor and evaluate community-level disparities during the pandemic. This case study describes the framework and lessons learned from PHSKC's collation, use, and dissemination of local data from 20 data sources to guide community and public health decision-making. Social, behavioral, economic, and health indicators were regularly updated and disseminated through interactive dashboards and products that examined data in the context of applicable policies. Data disaggregated by demographic characteristics and geography highlighted inequities, but not all datasets contained the same details; local surveys or qualitative data were used to fill gaps. Project outcomes included informing city and county emergency response planning related to implementation of financial and food assistance programs. Key lessons learned included the need to (1) build on existing processes and use automated processes and (2) partner with other sectors to use nontraditional public health data for active dissemination and data disaggregation and for real-time data contextualized by policy changes. This project provided programs and communities with timely, reliable data to understand where to invest recovery funding. A similar framework could position other health departments to examine social and economic effects during future public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities around the world are establishing hubs that promote and support citizen science. A key challenge to the long-term sustainability of such hubs is the absence of an objective, transparent, and efficient way to measure their performance and impact. The main reason is that the benefits of citizen science do not linearly follow an input-to-impact intervention logic. In response, we propose a methodology for developing a dedicated monitoring and evaluation framework. All steps from design to implementation are described, accompanied by examples from INCENTIVE, a project where our methodology was tested in real-life settings. The results indicate that our methodology, with minor adaptations, can be used by similar types of hub setting such as living labs, city labs, innovation hubs, science and technology parks, etc.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated concerns regarding monitoring and evaluation (ME) practices in South African municipalities. Empirical studies conducted in South Africa consistently emphasise the challenges associated with ME implementation because of weak ME structures, inconsistent ME frameworks, inadequate understanding of ME, a lack of coordination, and insufficient cooperation between oversight institutions and municipalities. Aim: The study explored the challenges in attaining effective ME, identifying gaps and limits in its assessment, and ultimately suggesting rigorous ways to assess its effectiveness. Methods: The study utilised a qualitative approach. Data collection involved in-depth interviews with 13 municipal senior managers before achieving data saturation. Results: The findings imply that an effective ME system and its implementation as an essential management tool is fraught with challenges, particularly in municipalities where the concept of ME has not been fully rolled out. Conclusion: Municipalities lack adequate capacity as municipal employees and managers are not committed to fully implementing ME. Contribution: This study anticipates making a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge, offering practical insights and enhancing understanding of ME practices during challenging circumstances.

Background: A well-performing health information system (HIS) provides timely, complete, accurate and easily retrievable data. However, HIS in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Ethiopia, is highly complex and influenced by pressures from donors, politics and technical factors. Hence, these countries experience persistent challenges in producing quality data and difficulties using health management information system (HMIS) data from their HISs. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate how HMIS was perceived and utilised in HIV and AIDS monitoring in Ethiopia, and views regarding the influence of determinants on the use of HMIS. Method: A qualitative evaluative case study using focus group discussions with data producers and users was conducted in selected health facility in Addis Ababa. A purposive critical case sampling was used to recruit participants. Results: Key findings revealed that HIV and AIDS-specific indicators, information and communication technology (ICT) and other related resources were critical barriers to the successful use of the HMIS. Participants believed these technical issues impacted the quality of data adversely and, subsequently, the conversion of that data to information and using it to monitor the HIV and AIDS programme’s performance. Conclusion: Technical factors affected all strategic decisions taken by the organisation. The health facilities did not process information as expected. However, staff performed the HMIS tasks with the tools available as they tried to make sense of data. Contribution: This study contributed to the body of knowledge by identifying the technical factors on data quality and use of HMIS for HIV and AIDS monitoring.

Abstract Background Improving response capacities in the EU requires a good overview of capacities at both country and Union level. The International Health Regulations (2005) Monitoring and Evaluation framework assesses capacities in countries. It includes semi-quantitative tools such as State Parties Annual Report (SPAR) and Joint External Evaluation (JEE). After Action Reviews (AAR) and Simulation Exercises (SimEx) were included to identify weaknesses in the functionality of capacities which are not addressed bySPAR and JEE. This study presents an analysis of the use of qualitative tools at regional level, in Europe. It aims to identify their added value by comparing them to standardised monitoring tools and lessons learned from COVID-19, and considers ways to improve their use in assessing capacities in the EU. Methods We included 17 SimEx and 2 AAR organised by the European Commission between 2005 and 2018. We categorised a total of 357 recommendations according to the IHR (2005) core capacities and to the target audience of the recommendation. We analysed the data using language analysis software. Recommendations to countries were compared to SPAR and JEE indicators. Recommendations to EU agencies were compared to the current mandates of the EU agencies, and to lessons learnt during COVID-19. Results Of all extracted recommendations from the exercises, 59% (211/357) targeted EU agencies, 18% (64/357) targeted countries, and 16% (57/357) targeted both. Recommendations mainly addressed areas of IHR coordination (C2), heath emergency management (C7) and risk communication (C10), and not low scoring areas. Recommendations complement SPAR indicators by identifying gaps in functionality. Eight out of ten early lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic had been raised earlier as recommendations from exercises. Exercise reports did not include or result in action plans for implementation, but COVID-19 has accelerated implementation of some recommendations. Conclusion SimEx/AAR provide valuable insight into public health preparedness at EU level, as they assess functionality of preparedness and response mechanisms, point out gaps, and provide training and awareness on for participants, who often have key roles in public health emergencies. Better follow-up and implementation of recommendations is key to improve the regional preparedness for international public health incidents such as pandemics.

The merit of narrative film methods to support participatory approaches and professional development has been increasingly demonstrated by research in several fields and education. However, the use of digital storytelling and other film methods in evaluation remains largely unchartered territory. This article provides a case study of a digital storytelling evaluation initiative in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in an Australian community not-for-profit. The aim is to offer practical insights for evaluators and organizations considering digital storytelling and other film narrative methods for participant-centered evaluation. Embedding digital evaluation stories into M&E evolved through collaboration between the external evaluation team and organizational leadership, requiring capacity building in evaluation, digital and qualitative methods, and new systems and processes. Benefits include transformation into a participant-centered evaluation and learning culture. Several challenges are discussed, including the extent of organizational change required, the associated time, energy, and cost, and the positive bias of visual narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective grantmaking decisions follow a clear process that is also widely accepted by the impact investing community as best practice for effectively deploying and managing an impact investing portfolio. This is exemplified by the Operating Principles for Impact Management, a leading market standard for how to integrate impact considerations throughout the investment life cycle. As a growing number of foundations embrace impact investing, understanding and comparing the impact management approach for grants (where it is enabled through monitoring, evaluation, and learning) versus that for investments (where the equivalent practice is typically referred to as impact measurement and management) can help practitioners harmonize and enhance their practices for assessing whether their interventions are achieving their desired objectives. This article uses a case study of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Zero Gap Fund, an impact investment platform established in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, to elucidate the IMM practices used by impact investors as well as to show how and why the impact investment field is using independent verification and benchmarking to strengthen practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter presents empirical results of an analysis of the content of education reform globally in nine policy areas during the recent wave of neoliberal reforms between 1970 and 2018. It draws on data from the World Education Reform Database (WERD), the most comprehensive database to date of education reforms around the world. The results show a dramatic increase in policy reform discourse on improving educational quality compared to reforms in other policy areas between 1970 and 2018, with the pace accelerating from 1990 onwards. Expanding access to education remains an important priority. Access reform discourse slightly increases during the peak period of education reform from 1992 to 2009, before leveling off. The results also show a significant rise of reforms in policy areas related to accountability discourse. Overall, the descriptive trends presented in this chapter complement case study literature on neoliberal education reform and suggests directions further cross-national research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in urban environments is gaining momentum as a means to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development. However, effective monitoring and evaluation are essential to assess the performance of NbS interventions and to guide decision-making. This research paper introduces a combined approach of proximal and remote sensing, based on visible and near-infrared spectroscopy, to monitor and evaluate NbS implementation in urban areas. The study focuses on the case of the UPPER (Urban Productive Parks for Sustainable Urban Regeneration) project and aims to establish urban Productive Parks as a novel NbS approach in the town of Latina (Italy). Field-based proximal sensing techniques (i.e., near-infrared spectroscopy, NIR) and satellite-based remote sensing data from the Sentinel-2 mission are employed. By integrating these techniques, the study enables comprehensive and multi-scale monitoring of vegetation health and assessment of vegetated areas. Various band ratio indices are calculated to assess vegetation coverage, water content, and urbanization. Temporal variations in these indices are analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of NbS interventions and their impact on the urban environment. The combined approach of proximal and remote sensing demonstrates the potential for comprehensive and multi-scale monitoring of NbS in urban environments. The research findings contribute to the existing knowledge on NbS monitoring and evaluation, providing valuable insights for sustainable urban development and evidence-based decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy optimization in existing building renewal is a complex systems engineering project. The synergistic application of multi-dimensional energy strategies and post-construction monitoring and evaluation are effective methods to ensure energy conservation and emission reduction goals. This study comprehensively analyzes the low-cost renewal construction project of a Kindergarten in Wismar Germany as a case study. Under the premise of fully retaining the original building structure, multiple energy measures including adjusting the form factor, constructing a central climate buffer zone, enhancing the thermal performance of the building envelope, and adding equipment facilities were implemented synergistically. Through long-term pos -construction monitoring and evaluation, the preset goals of reducing building energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by over one-third have been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the augmented engrossment of technology in security, everything moves towards a cohesive system. Smart cyber-lock technology is one of the eminent concepts with the potential to solve emerging safety and security issues. This work aims to establish an efficient system of safety and security through the integration of smart cyber-locks with a software package. The smart monitoring and evaluation of security-intensive sites are accomplished through cyber-link software, and the audit reports of security processes are generated on a quarterly basis. The comparative analyses of the case study data represent that the illegal security breaches decline quite noticeably after the successful implementation and synchronization of cyber-security locks with SCADA software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving response capacities in the EU requires a good overview of capacities at both country and Union level. The International Health Regulations (2005) Monitoring and Evaluation framework assesses capacities in countries. It includes semi-quantitative tools such as State Parties Annual Report (SPAR) and Joint External Evaluation (JEE). After Action Reviews (AAR) and Simulation Exercises (SimEx) were included to identify weaknesses in the functionality of capacities which are not addressed bySPAR and JEE. This study presents an analysis of the use of qualitative tools at regional level, in Europe. It aims to identify their added value by comparing them to standardised monitoring tools and lessons learned from COVID-19, and considers ways to improve their use in assessing capacities in the EU. Methods: We included 17 SimEx and 2 AAR organised by the European Commission between 2005 and 2018. We categorised a total of 357 recommendations according to the IHR (2005) core capacities and to the target audience of the recommendation. We analysed the data using language analysis software. Recommendations to countries were compared to SPAR and JEE indicators. Recommendations to EU agencies were compared to the current mandates of the EU agencies, and to lessons learnt during COVID-19. Results: Of all extracted recommendations from the exercises, 59% (211/357) targeted EU agencies, 18% (64/357) targeted countries, and 16% (57/357) targeted both. Recommendations mainly addressed areas of IHR coordination (C2), heath emergency management (C7) and risk communication (C10), and not low scoring areas. Recommendations complement SPAR indicators by identifying gaps in functionality. Eight out of ten early lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic had been raised earlier as recommendations from exercises. Exercise reports did not include or result in action plans for implementation, but COVID-19 has accelerated implementation of some recommendations. Conclusion: SimEx/AAR provide valuable insight into public health preparedness at EU level, as they assess functionality of preparedness and response mechanisms, point out gaps, and provide training and awareness on for participants, who often have key roles in public health emergencies. Better follow-up and implementation of recommendations is key to improve the regional preparedness for international public health incidents such as pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ex-post evaluation of sustainability has been done for 40 years in global development. However, it has been done far less than 1% of all global development projects, for there is little proof that "sustainable" development is or is not. Similarly, foreign aid projects are implemented to foster sustainability, but without the benefit of evidence from expost evaluations of what drove it and limited research on the benefits of robust exit strategies. Purpose: Transparency in values we hold, and evaluative capacities' best practices that we bring to our evaluations inform how they are done, with whom, and for what. Using the evidence base from ex-post evaluations and exit strategies led to these nine checklists. Professionals in monitoring and evaluation should use them to foster longterm sustainability and learning. Setting: Drawing on primary and secondary research across 91 ex-post evaluations of foreign aid sustainability plus two major studies of exit strategies globally. Intervention: Not applicable. Research Design: The checklists were drafted based on sustainability and exit studies and then vetted with lead researchers of the two exit studies. They were revised, and additional research was done on both values-driven evaluation and evaluation competencies. Data Collection and Analysis: Some primary data was collected during ex-post evaluations by the author, complemented by secondary research. Findings: Sustained exit commitments and conditions checklists can build evaluator capacities in evaluating sustainability. Several have been used by Tufts, USAID, the GEF, and the Adaptation Fund and verified actual sustainability and its prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eliminating the problems experienced in the process of IEP preparation, implementation, and evaluation in the mathematics course can ensure that students benefit from IEP activities in a way that they do not fall behind their peers. This study aims to explore the views of classroom teachers who have inclusive students in their classrooms on individualised education programme preparation, implementation, and evaluation in mathematics lessons. The research was designed using the phenomenology method, a qualitative research method. The participant group of the study consisted of 22 classroom teachers with inclusive students. The research data were collected face-toface during the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic year through a semi-structured interview form. In addition, observation and document review methods were used to support the data obtained from the interviews. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Because of the content analysis, the data were organized and interpreted under the themes of individualised education programme preparation, implementation, and evaluation in mathematics lessons. Because of the research, it was determined that classroom teachers could not find appropriate and sufficient materials and could not get expert support in the process of Individualized Education Program implementation in mathematics courses. In addition, it was found that classroom teachers were inadequate in monitoring and evaluating the Individualized Education Program in mathematics and used non-standard measurement and evaluation tools. Experimental studies are needed to assess whether or not the Individualized Education Program preparation, implementation, and evaluation process improves students' achievement in mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of landscape architecture in Kenya is growing alongside the country's construction industry, which is currently experiencing exponential growth in tandem with construction trends globally. With the growth in the industry, there has been significant growth in the economy, high consumption of natural resources, a 50% increased contribution to the world's landfill waste, and pollution of the adjacent environment. These have given rise to high pressure to adopt environmentally sensitive approaches in the construction industry to achieve competitive advantage. It is therefore crucial to address the need for sustainability measures for landscape architecture projects to increase knowledge and awareness, create incentives geared toward supporting sustainable practices, and leverage legal instruments and policies. The aim of this study was to identify the barriers to the adoption of and improvement in the monitoring and evaluation of sustainable practices in landscape architecture in Kenya that prevent the industry from achieving sustainability. The objective of this research was to critically analyze the many challenges and barriers to the achievement of sustainability in the Kenyan construction industry with a focus on landscape architecture practices. It also examined the overall extent of the adoption, monitoring, and evaluation of sustainability, and possible solutions were proposed for the management of and reduction in said barriers. The study was carried out through extensive research of secondary data sources on the average level of knowledge and technical know-how of sustainable construction, the level of perception of compliance, the average cost of construction vis à vis sustainable construction, and the level of sustainability in the construction sector in Kenya. The collected data were analyzed empirically and, through the use of descriptive statistics and findings, the data were discussed. The preliminary findings from this study indicate that there is an overall poor attitude toward M&E of sustainability in Kenya, indicating the need to further improve processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Human‐wildlife coexistence as a concept and management objective has received increasing attention from researchers and decision makers. The coexistence approach will benefit from the recognition that, at broader scales, human‐wildlife interactions (HWI) are best understood and managed collaboratively and as complex systems, that is, dynamic, non‐linear, emergent, adaptive and, therefore, unpredictable. We present a planning process for human‐wildlife coexistence that provides a platform for collaboration between researchers and decision‐makers—and other stakeholders as well—and recognizes the complex nature of HWI. The three elements that define the process are: coexistence instead of conservation or conflict mitigation as a goal, systems thinking as the approach, and an emphasis on verifiable results rather than actions. As a way of illustration, we describe a 3‐day planning workshop for human‐jaguar coexistence in the Pantanal, Brazil. The 15 participants representing the academic, governmental, and non‐profit sectors identified 12 interactions directly involving 27 stakeholders and indirectly another 55. A theory of change was produced, connecting 20 actions—to be performed by 22 actors—with the 57 factors that directly and indirectly drive the interactions. How these results complement other approaches such as Action Plans is discussed. The proposed approach favors the pragmatism of adaptive co‐management over the often unrealistic expectation of a linear path to solution, or in other words, a shift from the notion of human‐wildlife coexistence as a quantifiable target to that of coexistence as a desired system state.

Recently, the application and optimization research of intelligent algorithms in the monitoring and evaluation system of teaching mental health has been focused on. Many countries cannot avoid that with the rapid development of the urban economy, the mental health of Chinese people is ignored without knowing it. This phenomenon is more obvious in today’s campuses, especially in colleges and universities. Although the campus is equipped with a psychological counseling office, most students choose to give up because they can’t face themselves in a bad mood. Traditional random checks and individual conversations have no good effect. The intelligent algorithm developed in the new era is inevitably applied to the detection and evaluation of teaching psychological health. However, the intelligent algorithm at this stage cannot meet the requirements of teaching mental health monitoring and evaluation, because the data collection and processing are not completed through the matching intelligent algorithm, but directly through the algorithm DC method. The data collection will cause certain errors, and the data processing and output will inevitably be biased. This research is a kind of optimized intelligent algorithm system that can be applied to the monitoring and evaluation of teaching mental health. First, the research introduces and compares several modern intelligent algorithms used in teaching mental health monitoring and evaluation, and then analyzes the main influencing factors of monitoring and evaluation. These factors are integrated into the intelligent algorithm monitoring and evaluation system as key intelligent algorithm research objects, Finally, the optimized monitoring and evaluation system is applied in practice to obtain the corresponding imperfect information performance, and the final optimized result is obtained through further improvement. The results show that in most cases, a certain intelligent algorithm can not fully adapt to the detection and evaluation system, but the combination of different kinds of intelligent algorithms through influencing factors can give play to its advantages, and the final results can also be consistent with the actual. The proposed intelligent algorithm can not only be used in the monitoring and evaluation of teaching mental health but also reflect more monitoring and evaluation of teaching quality. The essence of the intelligent algorithm is to obtain complete data that can reflect reality by exploring the value of various information data. In the future, more joint intelligent algorithms will be proposed, which can adapt to more situations and achieve complete applications in teaching, security, medicine, and other fields.

Climate change has direct and indirect consequences for the military and defence sector. Direct impacts are for example the damaging of military infrastructure due to more extreme climatic conditions or the impact on operational capabilities when on missions. Indirect impacts include the increase of global instability and insecurity, or migration due to changing climatic conditions. Climate change risks are often seen as a threat multiplier. Whilst the impacts of climate change on the military and defence sector is gaining attention in both political and scientific realms, the way this sector adapts to these risks is, however, still pretty much unknown.This research aims to assess how the European Union member states’ military and defence sector are adapting to the impacts of climate change. We map and analyse the current policy actions by analysing the defence and climate policy documents (n = 63) and conducting interviews (n = 8) with civil servants of defence ministries across the EU. We find that almost none of the countries have a concrete climate change adaptation plan for their military. Whilst several frontrunner countries do mention climate change in their defence policy documents, they lack concrete policy goals and instruments. Moreover, concrete adaptation measures are not discussed by most of the countries. France is a notable exemption as it offers more detailed policies, but they too are at the groundwork stage. Hardly any reference to the military was found in the climate policy documents of the countries. The results show that the military and defence sector of the EU member states are not well prepared to the impacts of climate change and that concerted action is needed to close the adaptation gap adequately and effectively.

Sound urban water management relies on extensive and reliable monitoring of water infrastructure. As low-cost sensors and networks have become increasingly available for environmental monitoring, urban water researchers and practitioners must consider the benefits and disadvantages of such technologies. In this perspective paper, we highlight six technical and socio-technological considerations for low-cost monitoring technology to reach its full potential in the field of urban water management, including: technical barriers to implementation, complementarity with traditional sensing technologies, low-cost sensor reliability, added value of produced information, opportunities to democratize data collection, and economic and environmental costs of the technology. For each consideration, we present recent experiences from our own work and broader literature and identify future research needs to address current challenges. Our experience supports the strong potential of low-cost monitoring technology, in particular that it promotes extensive and innovative monitoring of urban water infrastructure. Future efforts should focus on more systematic documenting of experiences to lower barriers to designing, implementing, and testing of low-cost sensor networks, and on assessing the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of low-cost sensor deployments.