8. SBIA Stage 6: Developing the Monitoring Plan – How Should
Intended Users of Monitoring Results
A monitoring plan is designed to collect information about how a project is being implemented and about the outcomes and impacts that it produces. Various stakeholders have a stake in the results, including: the communities affected by the project; the implementation team that seeks to improve project management; the government; the project funders; and others.
These groups may be interested in different types of information. The government or project funders may be more interested in aggregated socioeconomic and biodiversity measures, while local communities will be more interested in understanding how individual villages, or groups within a village, have been affected. When designing a monitoring plan, the information requirements of all stakeholders should be considered in a way that efficiently addresses the different needs. The results of a monitoring method must be easily understood by the intended users. Methods that require sophisticated analyses may be appropriate for researchers or funders, but less appropriate for local community members. If the monitoring method is not understood, the results may be mistrusted.
Accuracy, Precision, and Participatory Monitoring Methods
Accuracy is the degree to which a measurement is correct, while precision is a way of describing how fine the measurement is. Monitoring methods should obviously aim to produce accurate results, for example, whether an impact is positive or negative, and which stakeholder groups are affected by project activities.
Achieving an appropriate level of precision, however, is more subjective. Projects are advised to avoid sophisticated monitoring methods which aim for high levels of precision, since these are not required by the CCB Standards.19
As with all aspects of project design and implementation, local stakeholder participation in monitoring provides access to essential local knowledge. Social Toolbox Sections 7 and 8 and Biodiversity Toolbox Section 5 describe some relevant participatory monitoring and data collection methods. For example, a practical and participatory method for measuring attribution is contained in the Participatory Impact Assessment (PIA) set of methods (Catley et al. 2007) described in Social Toolbox Section T6.2. A PIA method for assessing attribution involves:
On the other hand, participatory monitoring methods may not give precise results, but generate information that is easily understood and reflects the opinions of community members. Similarly, simple biodiversity monitoring methods of easily observed species may feel more tangible to stakeholders than methods that rely on technology or measurements of obscure taxa.
• Listing all the possible causal factors of an observed social outcome or impact;
• Deciding which of these causal factors are project factors and which are non-project factors;
• Getting a group of project stakeholders to rank and score all the causal factors;
• Finding the total score of the project causal factors, so that it is possible to say what proportion of the effect was due to the project (according to this group of stakeholders);
• Repeating the exercise identically with several groups of stakeholders and in different locations.
Project developers should be aware, however, of the cost of participatory methods for local people and that their effective use requires skilled facilitation and analysis. Where methods are highly time-consuming or otherwise expensive for community members, alternative methods and/or appropriate compensation should
19The CCB Standards only stipulate that “appropriate methodologies” be used; a project may choose to use low-precision methods as long as the reasons for choosing these methods are clear.
be considered. It is also important to triangulate the results of a particular method by another method (which may also be a participatory method).
8.3 SBIA Workshop Guidance
As explained in SBIA Stage 5, the detailed social and biodiversity monitoring plans can be developed by an SBIA workshop sub-group. Developing the monitoring plan follows immediately after identifying appropriate indicators. The following information should be entered in columns on a large sheet of paper (or several sheets taped together):
• SMART objectives
• Indicator(s) – at least one per objective (WHAT to measure?)
• Indicator type (output, outcome, or impact indicator)
• Data collection method for the indicators (HOW to measure?)
• Existing data for the indicator?
• The person or organization responsible for measuring the indicator (WHO?)
• Timing or frequency of measurement of the indicator (WHEN?)
• Location where the indicator will be measured (WHERE?)
• The rough cost of measurement – low/medium/high
Table 5 presents an example of a monitoring plan from an SIA case study. After developing the monitoring plan for a set of focal issue objectives and indicators, the two Monitoring Plan teams should exchange plans for review and modification.
Table 5. Examples of Focal Issue Monitoring Plans (GuateCarbon REDD Project) Focal Issue: Strengthened Governance
Objective Indicator Indicator
Type Data Collection
Method Existing Data? Who? When? Where? Cost to
Project By January 2012, the
Coordinating Committee of the Maya Biosphere Reserve has the mechanisms to implement the environmental security strategy in at least 70% of the area
- Mechanisms
approved Output Report Partial
information National Protected Areas Commission (CONAP)
2 times
per year Region VIII of
Guatemala 0
By March 2012, an effective program of community leadership is being developed in 10 concessions
- Community leadership program designed and implemented - Number of people
trained
Output Report Partial
information that will serve as support material for trainings
Association of Forest
Communities of the Petén (ACOFOP)
2 times
per year ACOFOP
and CONAP Low
By June 2014, at least 50% of judiciary operators in the Petén are applying their specialized
understanding of environmental legislation
- Number of judiciary
operators trained Outcome Report of training including attendance list
Partial information (Justice Forum)
Coordinating Committee of Maya
Biosphere Reserve
Annual CONAP Low
By December 2014, at least 80% of
environmental actions result in criminal sentences
- Number of criminal
sentences declared Outcome Resolutions of
sentences Partial
information Coordinating Committee of Maya
Biosphere Reserve
3 times
per year CONAP Low
Focal Issue: Gender-Social Equity
Objective Indicator Indicator
Type Data Collection
Method Existing
Data? Who? When? Where? Cost to
Project By the end of 2011, a
certain number of project area communities and families are receiving training to strengthen shared family
responsibilities
- Number of trainings received
- Number of
communities trained - Number of women,
youth and others trained
Output Workshop reports No Project staff
ACOFOP 2 times
per year Concessions Medium
By the end of 2013, a certain number of women finished primary
education in project area
- Number of women completed 6th grade - Number of women
reincorporated into primary education
Outcome Primary school records – Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education Statistics
Project staff Annual Schools Medium
By the end of 2013, at least three production projects implemented by youth and women in the project area
- Number of projects - Number of new
initiatives - Number of
women/youth implementing projects
Output Field reports No Project staff Annual Communities High
By the end of 2013, gradual involvement of multiple ethnic youth and women in community organizations and training courses in project area
- Number of women and youth
participating in community
organization activities - percentage of annual
increase in youth and women participants
Output Field reports No Project staff Annual Governing
Boards Low
By the end of 2013, the management boards and community committees will be composed of 25- 30% women and youth participating in decision- making
- Number of women and youth on the community committees
Output Records of people
proposed Records of previous people proposed
ACOFOP Coordinating Committee of Maya Biosphere Reserve
Annual Concessions Low