The logframe as a monitoring and evaluation tool for government interventions in a chaotic and complex environment

Abstract

Background: The logical framework approach (or logframe) as a tool for the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of government interventions has gained popularity in M&E scholarly research. The term ‘interventions’ as used in this article refers to public policy, strategies, programmes and projects that are implemented by governments to address the socio-economic problems affecting the citizens.

Aim: The aim of this article was to assess the logframe as an M&E tool for government interventions in Africa and to close the knowledge gap in the current literature.

Setting: The logframe is currently used (in one form or another) by most multilateral and bilateral aid agencies that are operating as development partners across the Africa. Its popular use ignores the fact that the success and failure of government interventions do not follow a pre-deterministic logical sequence of events.

Methods: This research is qualitative and is based on a robust review of the existing literature on the use of the logframe in M&E and the theory of chaos and complexity.

Results: This article shows that government interventions are generally implemented and evaluated in a dynamic, ever-changing, complex and often chaotic environment.

Conclusion: Because of the dynamic, complex nature of the environment in which government interventions are implemented and evaluated, the logframe should be continuously adjusted to accommodate changes in the environment. In addition, its use in M&E should be limited to the level at which the changes on the evaluand and in the environment allow a certain level of stability, predictability and logic.