Attachement#7 - AEIF 2026 M&E.pdf

AEIF 2026

Alumni Monitoring and Evaluation Resource Guide

Initiatives like AEIF projects are designed to influence change in behavior, attitudes, and knowledge. A strong project plan incorporates methods to track and measure these changes.

This Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) resource guide will help get you started on developing a strong M&E plan for your project. Please note the following examples are not prescriptive and should be used to guide you through the development of your own indicators, questions, and data metrics.

1. Key Terms and Definitions: Below are the definitions of common key M&E terminology.

Term Definition

Monitoring Tracks a program’s progress against established goals and objectives through ongoing data collection.

Evaluation A formal study of a program. A systematic and objective assessment of an ongoing or completed activity, project, program, or policy.

Goal The most significant change a program seeks to achieve.

Objective The changes a program seeks to achieve to reach the goal.

Activities Program or project actions or tasks that are implemented to achieve targeted outcomes.

Baseline The value of an indicator before the implementation of a program.

Impact A result or effect that is caused by or attributable to a program, project, process, or policy.

Impact may also refer to higher-level effects that occur in the medium- or long-term and can be intended or unintended and positive or negative.

Indicator An observable or measurable characteristic that indicates the extent to which a program objective is being achieved.

Output The immediate results from an activity.

Outcome Change that has occurred as a result of activities implemented.

Results Any product or change that occurs due to the program activities. A program’s outputs, outcomes, and/or impact.

Target Specific, planned level of result to be achieved within an explicit timeframe.

2. Developing Your Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: Using the following sample guiding questions, indicators, and data collection methods, you can start putting together an

M&E plan:

Project Design Phase

What are your project goals? How and when will you measure those goals? What are the gaps in existing services or knowledge that your project seeks to fill? How many people are affected by the problem? What challenges do you anticipate in project implementation?

Baseline Indicator Data type / Method

● Existing levels of knowledge and services and how they apply to target group/program participants

● Measurable rate of desired change in knowledge, attitudes, and practices to be achieved by the project over defined time

● Quantitative: Data from surveys and research on the topic in the context of target community or direct beneficiaries

● Qualitative: Focus groups and interviews

Project Implementation Phase

How will you know if you have selected the right participants? Are project beneficiaries and community members engaged and responding to project topics? Did you choose the right type of activities for your project? What needs to change to ensure the activities result in desired outcomes?

Output Indicator Examples

Data type / Method

● Number of engagements with local media

● Number of beneficiaries who demonstrate new knowledge or skills

● Amount of time beneficiaries, alumni team, volunteers, and U.S. Embassy team spends on carrying out project activities

● Number of new toolkits, campaign guide, curriculum, or products produced

● Number of users engaging with/sharing online content and resources on project’s digital platforms

● Number of radio/TV audience, social media followers, or website users increased

● Quantitative: Number of participants, workshops, social media following, radio and TV shows or ads, blogs

● Qualitative: Testimonials, Focus Groups, Interviews

End of Project

Did your project meet or exceed your stated goals? Did your project influence change in knowledge, attitudes and practices? Is it possible to replicate and/or scale your project?

Outcome Indicators Data type / Method

● Number of beneficiaries who demonstrate new and/or increased knowledge or skills

● Number of people who take action as result of awareness campaign or training

● Number of new partnerships and audiences for alumni organizations and U.S. Embassy

● Project receives in-kind funding to support future activities

● Number of new businesses or income-generating activities

● Number of beneficiaries who register to vote, successfully apply for a job, increase English language skills, etc.

● Quantitative: Survey (stakeholder and beneficiaries), statistics from public and civil society organizations, and/or number of services provided by stakeholders including schools, health providers, business tech hubs, etc.

● Qualitative: Interviews, focus groups, testimonials from beneficiaries, service providers, teachers, volunteers, etc.

Impact

What is the long-term impact of your project? What broader changes within the community, organization, society, or environment occurred as result of program outcomes?

Impact Indicators Data type / Method

● Change in policy, new legislation, issue reframing

● Partners, beneficiaries, and communities continue associated activities 6-months/1 year after the project

● Average increase in household income, number of new businesses registered, etc. after x-months/year

● Community reports decrease in violence, teen pregnancy rates, or spread of disease 6-months/ year later

● Number of schools and vocational institutes reporting increase of female students pursuing STEM degrees x-month/year later

● Percentage of registered voters/candidates who are women at the end of the project

● Quantitative: Surveys of community, public institutions, NGO reports

● Qualitative: Follow up interview with participants, community members, and stakeholders

Reporting

Reporting offers an excellent opportunity to assess and understand the impact of the project. ECA requires a final report be submitted upon project completion.

*For Embassies only - Embassies must upload the final report to the project record in the Alumni Contact and Engagement System (ACES) and notify the ECA Regional Alumni Coordinator of the project’s completion.

3. Additional Resources (Articles and Videos):

Here is a curated list of helpful online resources on M&E, both videos and articles:

● ECA’s MODE Framework

● The Indicator Book (Includes ECA-designed and approved survey questions to help you design a survey to measure your results?

● Monitoring Concepts (YouTube Video)

● Evaluation Concepts (YouTube Video)

● Theories of Change (YouTube)

● Kirkpatrick’s Four Level Training Evaluation Model: (Training Projects)

● Measuring Nonprofit Social Impact: A Crash Course- How to Measure Social Impact https://www.state.gov/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/ https://app.box.com/s/9gvvxzxlm6bmvzqengqu8uad40yz2doe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=462d9ey7vbg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A9z8d7eINE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJa_z1dkKU0 https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/kirkpatrick.htm https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/measuring-nonprofit-social-impact/

AEIF 2026