Monitoring and evaluation focuses not only on assessing inputs and implementation processes, but also on assessing the contributions of various factors to a given development outcome, with such factors including outputs, partnerships, policy advice and dialogue, advocacy and coordination.
Even if partially overlapping, the two activities differ in implementation procedures and objectives, therefore here below is presented a thorough description of the two processes.

Monitoring
Monitoring is a permanent and systematic collection and elaboration of data and information over the development of the project, aiming at the process control and correction, if necessary.
Monitoring can also be described as:

• a tool for continuous management process, used at all levels of the management process;
• a tool to compare the obtained processes with the plan to define corrective potential interventions;
• a method that makes use of formal relationships and informal communications;
• a method that takes into consideration the results, the activities and the resources defined during the planning phase;
• a tool used collect data and information that will be successively used during evaluation activities.

During Monitoring activity the quality of partially reached results is evaluated and the possibility to reach the final objectives carefully considered. According to the exercise results, changes and corrections can be introduced to address critical situations.
Furthermore, during the first monitoring exercises, the tools of survey and the related procedures will be tested, modified and improved if necessary, as well as the operators will be accustomed to their use.

Evaluation
Evaluation is a periodic assessment and critical analysis of the achievements and outcomes against planned results, underlying assumptions, strategy and resources commitment.
Evaluation is used for different purposes:

• For mid-course correction and follow up actions
  • By verifying the extent to which is achieving or has achieved the intended results and the objectives and by determining the critical factors involved

• As analytical tool to improve project design
  • To improve and sharpen project objectives design
  • To verify project assumptions and make them more explicit
  • To use experience from the project to improve the design of the future interventions

Evaluation is carried out on a more advanced phase of the program, when it is close to achieving the project objectives; on the contrary, Monitoring is a continuous activity carried out since the beginning of the intervention.
During the evaluation, meetings of all involved actors are held in order to present the exercise results; the presence of external evaluators is usually required during “evaluation meetings”.

The actors of Monitoring
Monitoring is carried out at all management levels and the tasks of every involved participant are assigned.
The main Monitoring actions are:

• Production of data and information;
• Collection of data;
• Processing of data;
• Validation of data;
• Synthesis of data;
• Set up of corrective interventions

The last aspect is relevant: in fact, without the possibility of intervention, the monitoring activity would be reduced to a collection of information with a merely statistical and historic-documentary importance.
The Monitoring activity consists in continuous and systematic collections and elaborations of data and feedbacks. Programme managers are asked to actively use the information gained through monitoring and evaluation to improve strategies, implement adjustments and other activities in order to manage the program and assure its progression towards its objectives. Monitoring and Evaluation therefore aim at improving performance and achieving results.
Implementation managers are primarily concerned with the methods used to implement a particular project or program component. Within their area of responsibility they need to know that necessary inputs are available, that planned outputs are being produced and that financial resources are used legitimately and efficiently.

Table: Monitoring Phases

They also need to know the extent to which program outputs are reaching the intended results so that they can fine-tune project implementation, improve projects impact and motivate performance. In order to collect the information necessary to conduct a rational evaluation that could inspire actions and improvements, the monitoring activity is differentiated in three areas, as described below:

　　• Physical monitoring
　　• Procedural monitoring
　　• Financial monitoring

In order to attain these purposes, Monitoring makes use of pre-identified indicators.
Indicators are control parameters measuring the extent of achievement of program objectives or assessing implementation progresses towards project objectives. The performance indicators must be based on the unique objectives of individual projects, but they should also be based on an underlying logical framework that links projects objectives with project components and their respective inputs, activities and outputs at different implementation stages.
These indicators, serve as benchmarks against which to measure project progress towards projects, Programme and development objectives, they result in more meaningful project monitoring and evaluation, more objective because not based on personal judgment or pure description.

Physical monitoring indicators
Quantitative indicators:
　　1. Total beneficiary students (module 1: students from 15 to 18 years old)
　　2. Laid off workers and unemployed people trained (module 2)
　　3. Management Schools and LSSB staff participating to courses in Italy and in China
　　4. Other staff and technicians trained (form 3)
　　5. Curricula updated
　　6. Number of vulnerable and disabled people favoured
　　7. New majors and specializations introduced in the school education offer
　　8. Number of subsidized students
　　9. Material and equipment supplied and operational
　　10. The average training cost per student contact hour
Qualitative descriptors:
　　1. Quality of the new professional skills and competences acquired by Schools and LSSB/JCC staff
　　2. Laid off workers employed within 6 months after vocational training courses
　　3. Students and involved operators satisfaction degree
　　4. Improvement of relationship among Schools, LSSB and enterprises

Procedural monitoring indicators (respect of time schedule)
　　1. Periodical work plans elaboration
　　2. Elaboration of laboratories equipment list
　　3. Civil works planning
　　4. Tender documents preparation

Monitoring Operational Procedure
The Programme implementation will be monitored at different stages with the aim to obtain indications of progress in the achievement of Programme objectives. PPMO will be in charge of gathering all the information from all the subjects involved in the Programme necessary to determine whether the projecta are being implemented as planned.
The PPMO shall visit school beneficiaries with the purpose of on-site monitoring as needed. For these visits to be truly useful for improved Programme implementation, those who go on monitoring visits must always prepare a written note to file or report about the project visit and share this with the TAMU, NMC and all project parties. Furthermore, PPMO will be responsible for the consolidation of the “Financial Report” and then for its submission to MOFCOM/CICETE.
After all parties involved in the monitoring have agreed on the basic principles and the methodology to be applied during the exercise and during the evaluation phase, and once coordination and cooperation are established and aim at uniting efforts towards the achievement of the Programme objectives, the operational steps to be followed in order to conduct a rational and valuable monitoring exercise are:

　　1- Schools/ JCC /Executing Companies (contractors) collect data and fill the Monitoring Reports with the technical assistance of the related PPMO and TAMU;
　　2- Each PPMO for its province consolidates and integrates all data in order to conduct a first analysis and transmit the filled forms to TAMU;
　　3- TAMU and PPMOs discuss the results of the data analysis and proceed with the spreading of information about corrective actions to be put in place;
　　4- The corrective action are implemented and after a probation period of about three months, the data collection shall start again for further progress evaluation.

Monitoring Reports for each monitoring exercise will be prepared by TAMU and feedback on corrective actions approved by NMC will be communicated to each involved party.