MODULE 6 · LESSON 6.7
M&E Reporting and Decision-Making
Estimated time: 30 minutes
6.7.1 What is an M&E report?
An M&E report presents implementation, performance, results and relevant challenges. It may be monthly, quarterly, annual, or on another agreed schedule. Readers should see what was planned, what was achieved, what changed, what problems occurred, what the data can and cannot establish, and what is recommended.
6.7.2 Basic structure of an M&E report
- Programme overview: the programme, its objectives and the period.
- Key indicators: baselines, targets and actual results.
- Progress and achievements: activities and outputs.
- Challenges and limitations, including data quality.
- Interpretation: what the results indicate and what remains uncertain.
- Recommendations: practical actions supported by the findings.
- Data sources and important methodological limits.
6.7.3 Example: a fictional quarterly report
Programme: Maternal Health Education Programme. Period: January–March. All figures are fictional.
| Indicator | Target | Actual result | Target achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education sessions conducted | 20 | 16 | 80% |
| Health workers trained | 30 | 25 | 83.3% |
| Reports received | 12 | 9 | 75% |
For these count indicators, achievement is actual divided by target, times 100, because the targets are desired counts.
6.7.4 Example of an analytical summary
During January–March the programme completed 16 of 20 planned sessions, 80% of the session target. It trained 25 of 30 planned workers, about 83.3%. Nine of 12 expected reports were received, so reporting completeness is 75%. The team should investigate the shortfalls and follow up the three missing reports before it finalises the performance assessment. These figures describe implementation and reporting. They do not establish a change in maternal health outcomes.
6.7.5 Turn findings into recommendations
A useful recommendation is specific, relevant, practical, assigned, timed where appropriate, and followed up. “The M&E officer should contact the facilities with missing quarterly reports, confirm their status, and document the outcome before the next deadline” is more useful than “improve reporting.”
6.7.6 How the tools you have learned fit together
| Skill or tool | How it supports M&E |
|---|---|
| Excel | Organise data, calculate indicators and check records |
| KoboToolbox | Collect digital survey or monitoring data |
| DHIS2 | Support routine reporting and analysis where it is implemented |
| Data triangulation | Compare sources and investigate discrepancies |
| Power BI | Visualise indicators and performance |
| M&E frameworks | Connect activities, outputs, outcomes and targets |
| Reporting | Communicate findings and recommendations |
You do not need every tool before you can contribute. Start with clear definitions, reliable data, basic calculations and careful interpretation.