Participatory impact monitoring

Participatory Impact Monitoring (PIM) is a concept for guiding self-help projects in development cooperation. It is an action-oriented management method in which the actors involved carry out the monitoring themselves. Assuming that these actors are autonomous, the monitoring systems of the self-help groups and the development organizations are separate. Periodically, the actors reflect on their observations and assessments, adapt their planning accordingly and dialogue with one another. PIM was developed by an international team of workers in development cooperation from the Philippines, India, Bolivia, Argentina and Germany from 1991 to 1994 and was initially tested in five case studies in 1993/94. PIM was developed as an alternative to conventional planning, monitoring and evaluation procedures. PIM's main purpose is to document socio-cultural impacts thus initiating and reinforcing learning processes, and complementing more technically or economically oriented monitoring. Four booklets are included in this publication. Booklet 1, Group-Based Impact Monitoring, outlines the steps involved in introducing and carrying out group-based impact monitoring and outlines the five case studies on which PIM is based. Booklet 2, NGO-Based Impact Monitoring, describes the steps to follow when introducing and carrying out NGO-based monitoring of socio-cultural impacts and also includes notes from joint reflection workshops. Booklet 3, Application Examples, describes the introduction of PIM in the five case studies giving details about both group-based and NGO-based impact monitoring in each case. Booklet 4, The Concept of Participatory Impact Monitoring, points out characteristics of PIM from theoretical and practical standpoints.