What are the four types of monitoring and evaluation?

In project management and development work, the four types of monitoring and evaluation often discussed are process monitoring, performance monitoring, impact evaluation, and summative evaluation, though frameworks vary slightly. First, process or implementation monitoring tracks whether activities are being carried out as planned, whether resources are being used correctly, and whether the project is following its work plan. Second, performance or progress monitoring measures outputs and short-term outcomes against targets, such as how many people were served or trained. Third, outcome monitoring looks at medium-term changes resulting from the project, such as changes in knowledge, behavior, or access. Fourth, impact evaluation assesses long-term, broader changes and whether the project caused those changes, often using comparison groups. Another common grouping of four is formative evaluation which improves design during implementation, process evaluation which checks implementation, outcome evaluation which measures immediate effects, and impact evaluation which measures long-term effects. Together, these types help managers learn, adapt, ensure accountability, and demonstrate results to stakeholders and funders.