Monitoring, two ways

Monitoring should provide timely feedback that helps teams deliver - yet monitoring stalls when we try to track too much. My last blog argued that, by using evaluation wisely, we can give teams the confidence to keep monitoring light and flexible.

Another way to retain lightness and flexibility - whilst generating useful feedback - is to think of monitoring as having two components: “on-plan” and “off-plan”.

Cooking “two ways” originated in France - my new home! Think chicken two ways, cauliflower two ways, chocolate two ways. It’s about contrast and completeness - finding balance through two preparations that, together, make the dish whole.

Monitoring works the same way: on-plan and off-plan combine to bring contrast and completeness to our understanding.

On-plan monitoring

Planned, well-organised and consistent.

This is what most people think of when they hear the word “monitoring”: theories of change and indicators. Whether it’s quant or qual, you decide in advance who you'll talk to, what you'll ask, and how often. These are the data points you come back to again and again, so you can see trends over time.

On-plan doesn't mean rigid. As you learn you may update your theory of change or change an indicator. But at any point in time there's an agreed list of metrics that you are deliberately tracking.

Off-plan monitoring

Spontaneous, opportunistic, informal.

The chat with casual workers as they queue at the factory gate, the conversation with farmers as you wander through town, the early morning walk through the market, coffee with an entrepreneur, the late-night shisha with a government official, an interesting piece of journalism, a passing comment at a conference.

Off-course you can collect on- and off-plan data during the same trip. Once, I was working in the tea sector. On the way back from interviewing the MD of a large tea company, we spotted a tea collection point by the roadside, buzzing with activity. We stopped, bought a crate of Fantas to share, and chatted for hours. You learn a lot this way.

“Off-plan” doesn’t mean “thoughtless”. Enjoy normal human conversations, but remember you’re trying to get to the truth of how people see things. Have a few key questions ready, avoid leading ones, practice active listening and stay alert to group dynamics. Look for chances to speak with dissenting or less-heard voices. And keep a simple record - who you spoke to, what stood out, and any follow-up it suggests.

Bringing them together in reflection

On- and off-plan monitoring come together in reflection - personal reflection, everyday conversations, team meetings, or more formal sessions every few months.

On-plan data gives teams a shared reference point - what was expected and what’s happening. In discussion, it’s easy to lose the plot and disappear down rabbit holes. Then someone asks, “Wait… what were we trying to achieve here in the first place? Is it happening?”. On-plan anchors everyone to a strategy.

Off-plan monitoring adds nuance, explains, and reveals different insights. It should be a continuous thing, but becomes especially important when what you expected to happen (as set out in your theory of change), doesn't. When data deviates from expectation, that’s an alarm bell - our cue to go and see what’s going on.

Maybe you’re already doing much of this? The key is to encourage both equally: clarity and discipline in the on-plan, curiosity and initiative in the off-plan. Together, they give us a fuller picture - what’s happening, what’s not, and why - so we can make better decisions grounded in real understanding.

Bon appétit!

My blogs come from my own experience and the people around me. I’m still figuring it out, so if you have a different perspective, please let me know. I’d love to learn from you! mark@hellopaths.com