Introduction

There is general consensus that evaluating the performance of public policy is an important instrument for good governance. There is however a gap between this general agreement and the actual implementation, use and sustainability of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, processes and tools on the ground. Well-intentioned efforts to develop these systems face obstacles associated with institutional design, political dynamics, poor managerial and/or technical capacity and resistance to change. At the same time, innovative practices developed within particular contexts in developing nations may yield important lessons worth sharing.