Practical use of Evidence: Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Basics

Course Overview

Public sector work depends on understanding people’s needs, designing services that respond to them, and checking how things are actually working in practice. Evidence is what ties all of this together. When used well, it helps drive stronger decisions, better investments, transparent reporting and greater community trust.

Across two hands-on sessions, participants will explore different types of evidence that strengthen policy and program performance. They’ll learn practical tools for service design, monitoring and evaluation, and how to turn raw information into meaningful insights.

This course balances big-picture thinking with practical techniques, giving participants the confidence and capability to apply what they learn straight away.

Key Learnings

By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Recognise the policy levers governments use to shape programs and services

• Identify the types of evidence that support design, monitoring and evaluation

• Plan for collecting and analysing evidence in a purposeful and efficient way

• Communicate findings clearly through reports, dashboards and publications

• Use practical tools and templates to support ongoing evidence planning

Half-Day 1: Evidence and Government

Objective: Build a strong understanding of government roles, problem definition, logic modelling and the foundations of evidence-based decision-making.

Modules

1. Role of Government

• Explore how government operates as a system

• Use the UK Policy Lab’s ‘Government as a System’ framework to identify levers, actors and responsibilities.

• Discuss how these concepts influence policy and service design decisions.

2. Problem Definition

• Break down complex public issues using scenario-based methods

• Explore needs, drivers, constraints and opportunities

• Practise defining a problem clearly enough to guide smart decisions

3. Logic Modelling

• Learn how logic models capture a program’s theory of change

• Map inputs, outputs and outcomes in a clear, visual way

• Understand how logic models support monitoring and evaluation

4. Introduction to Evidence

• Define evidence in a public sector context

• Explore qualitative and quantitative evidence sources

• Understand how to judge the strength, relevance and limitations of evidence

5. Wrap-Up & Reflection

• Group discussion on insights and “aha” moments

• Set expectations for applying concepts in the second session

Half-Day 2: Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting for Better Results

Objective: Strengthen skills in monitoring, evaluation and communicating results to support accountability and continuous improvement.

Modules

1. Monitoring

• Understand what makes a monitoring system fit for purpose

• Link monitoring indicators to logic models and intended outcomes

• Explore practical ways to track performance without getting lost in data

2. Evaluation

• Walk through key evaluation types and when they’re best used

• Learn evidence collection methods suited to different questions

• Understand how to design evaluations that are proportionate, ethical and useful

3. Visual Reporting

• Explore techniques for presenting performance and evaluation data clearly

• Identify what good visual reporting looks like in practice

• Work with examples of charts, dashboards and narrative summaries

4. High Performance Culture

• Discuss the traits of learning organisations

• Identify steps leaders and teams can take to build a culture of curiosity, reflection and improvement

• Explore how evidence informs strategic thinking and future planning