If you are searching for good online monitoring and evaluation(M&E) training courses, look no further than the list below. The courses are free, cover M&E basics, and can be completed within 4 hours or a couple of weeks depending on the depth of knowledge you are looking for. I recommend all new individuals to the M&E profession complete at least one course from this list. I also recommend all experienced M&E professionals take any of the courses as a refresher.

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1. Monitoring and Evaluation Fundamentals, Measure Evaluation

This mini-course covers the basics of program M&E in the context of population, health, and nutrition programs. It also defines common terms and discusses why M&E is essential for program management. MEASURE Evaluation, the course creator, has a variety of other free training courses and tools for you to choose from. The notable ones include; data quality reviews, gender in M&E, Geographical Information Systems, and Health Management Information Systems.

2. Monitoring Toolkit, Evaluation Toolkit, and CLA Toolkits, USAID Learning Lab

Take your first steps, into the USAID M&E, and Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) world by reviewing content in these Toolkits. For example, the Monitoring Toolkit details the place of monitoring in the program cycle; monitoring approaches; monitoring indicators; monitoring data; and analysis, use, and reporting. Better still, the recently created COVID19 page offers tips on how to adapt your MEL to the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. Evaluating Social Programs, Edx

This course is a powerful gift to all M&E professionals looking to sharpen their skills in impact measurement, credit to the Michigan Institute of Technology (MIT). The course covers the rationale for social impact evaluation, common pitfalls of evaluation designs and why randomization helps, and the key components of a well-designed randomized evaluation. The course lasts six (6) weeks and learners are required to pay a (small) fee if they need a verified certificate.

4. Developing a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for Food Security and Agriculture Programs, FAO eLearning Academy

The courses take a practice-based approach in discussing the basic M&E concepts; choosing what to monitor; M&E indicators; defining indicators; planning for M&E activities during the program’s lifetime. If you don’t want to take the online course, you can download all the course materials.

5. MEAL Dpro: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning

This course is tailored for anyone interested or currently working in the international relief and development sector. The course helps learners to increase their understanding of MEAL, test their new knowledge through case-based scenarios, and enhance their ability to track the progress and impact of their projects. Credit to Humentum, CRS, and Humanitarian Leadership Academy for creating this course.

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6. Monitoring and Evaluation Courses, Global Health eLearning Center (GHeL)

The GHeL provides up to 14 M&E courses, each on a specific topic to help you improve your skills in global health M&E. Some of the notable topics include data quality, data use for Program Managers, Economic Evaluation Basics, Gender M&E, Measuring Malaria through Household Surveys, and M&E Frameworks for HIV/AIDS Programs. Learners have the option of combining M&E with other courses in a specific health program area.

7. Monitoring and Evaluation Practices, Disasterready.org

This course targets refugee service provider staff and humanitarian workers. Participants learn how to describe logic models and their importance in M&E; develop the logical framework (Logframe) based on a strong theory of change; choose appropriate data collection methods and when to use them; how to conduct data analysis and action planning. The course is provided by the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Assistance (META) Project.

8. Planning for Monitoring and Evaluation, Philanthropy University

The course covers five modules relevant to everyone involved in project implementation: Introduction to M&E; Linking M&E to Project Design; Indicators & Targets; Data Collection; Roles and Responsibilities. Completion of this online M&E course earns you a Certificate of Achievement through the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley Haas).

9. Designing and Implementing Monitoring & Evaluation Systems, Alison

This course teaches you how to design and implement effective M&E systems. It introduces learners to the basic concepts in designing and implementing M&E systems; how to define program results and results-based management and frameworks; developing and selecting performance indicators; collecting data; and M&E system assessment. This course is published by the Aga Khan Foundation.

10. Theory of Change: A Facilitator Guide (2019).

Although this resource is not written as a training course, its compelling content merits the categorization. Moreover, if you need skills in facilitating the process of developing a theory of change (TOC), simply access the document and try out the steps! The curriculum aligns with the requirements of creating a development hypothesis for a Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) funded by USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (FFP). Credit to the authors Laurie Starr/Save the Children.

These are the 10 free online M&E training courses that I have found helpful over the years. Remember to check with your organization, professional M&E Association, or M&E Social networks: these may have free training but are limited to staff or registered members.

Lastly, share with me any free M&E training course that you have found helpful but not on the above list. Use the comment box below or send me an email at info@mandeboost.com.

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