Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist IAMovement Barataria, Trinidad and Tobago
Abstract Information: Multi-country and multi-lingual projects can be quite intimidating for small Non-Profits in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDs) to tackle. In particular, simple, novel, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) tools and approaches developed through the Caribbean project “Advancing Climate Democracy in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago” shows high potential in transforming the utility and communication effectiveness of M&E tools. Traditional M&E tools often adopt very textual responses, numeric scales and basic tabular matrices which can make interpretation challenging and less engaging for both managers and engaged project beneficiaries. However, these novel approaches used through the project provides a case that strongly argues that the innovative incorporation of visuals and emojis from a simplified but common and widely used communication vocabulary of imagery and visual forms can enhance M&E toolkits. Some of the potential enhancements that could be afforded to other projects through the innovative incorporation of visuals and emojis include improved (intuitive) understanding of results frameworks, improved response rates and reduced misinterpretation of scales while increasing data quality, and improving overall data interpretation. While data visualization and reporting discussions often centre around the utility of graphical elements such graphs, charts, and infographics and how these elements lend toward appealing representation of data, a lesser discussed practical challenge is the interpretation of results frameworks or the results matrix that tends to follow a tabular format. How do we make a project ecosystem, its actors, milestones, targets and all of the deliverables digestible? The “Visual Deliverables and Results Diagram” is argued to be a novel tool entering the M&E field that now allows a very quick bird’s eye view of a simplified results framework, more easily digested by managers and supervisors for projects with many logistics and intra-country moving parts. Furthermore, it argues that the use of universally common emojis on Likert scales can help to enhance trust and interpretation by groups with language challenges or barriers while also aiding in overcoming response fatigue and improve the accuracy of responses. This paper will explore the potential benefits of incorporating visuals and emojis in M&E tools and provide examples of how these techniques have been successfully used in some contexts within this multi-country project funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) and executed by a small Non-Profit organization called IAMovement.
Relevance Statement: The relevance and importance of incorporating innovative visuals and universal emojis in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) tools lies in their potential to transcend communication barriers and enhance the quality of project related information, as well as the quality and accuracy of survey data. By incorporating innovative visuals to the traditional results framework, project actors, decision makers, and managers can better understand the projects overall ecosystem and visually understand the “boxes to be checked” while also having an engaging and comprehensive representation of data, making it easier to on-board project teams. On the other hand, the use of universal emojis can improve the accuracy of responses by enhancing trust, overcoming response fatigue and encouraging more nuanced responses. From a theoretical perspective, this paper contributes to the ongoing arguments on how to improve the validity and reliability of monitoring, learning and evaluation data. Traditional M&E tools rely heavily on text-based responses, which can be open to interpretation and may not capture the complexity of participants' experiences, particularly persons with reading or language (translation/interpretation) challenges. Incorporating visuals and emojis can provide a more complete picture of participants' perspectives, allowing for more accurate and nuanced feedback, tracking and evaluation. The real and proposed value lies in the practical applications. This example and the case studies discussed serve as a guide for organizations seeking to improve their M&E as well as Project Management approaches. The example showcased here, namely the “Visual Deliverables and Results Diagram”, is an innovative approach to data communication that has not been widely explored in traditional M&E tools. Overall, the paper contributes to the ongoing conversation in the evaluation field about the need for more innovative and effective methods of data communication, collection and interpretation. The paper's focus on the use of visuals and emojis aligns with the principles of quality evaluation practice, which emphasizes the importance of using a variety of methods to ensure that evaluation findings are valid, reliable, and accurate.
