Monitoring and evaluation and the board

Monitoring and evaluation are methods to help trustees oversee how the charity is furthering its overall purposes through the provision of its services and activities.

Monitoring can help trustees track the progress and performance of a charity’s work and how this compares with its plans (for example, with its business plan, workplan or strategic plan).

Monitoring systems will vary from charity to charity and should be designed to ensure the board is properly overseeing the organisation’s work. For example, large charities might identify key indicators across its work rather than very detailed operating information.

Evaluation is a more detailed piece of work to analyse services and activities. Evaluation can help question, for example, whether services meet the needs of beneficiaries or are being delivered in a way that best furthers the charity’s purposes.

Many guides exist to help trustees and charities develop their approach to monitoring and evaluation. For more information, contact NCVO's Strategy and Impact team