Monitoring

Monitoring is a technique by which you can check that everything is continuing to go according to plan.

Monitoring, in the context of the action plan, addresses questions such as:

• Are outputs being achieved within the timeframes?
• Are resources being efficiently and effectively used?
• Have you maximised the use of resources?
• Are you doing what you said you would do and if not, why not?
• Are you collaborating with other services?

When you do your monitoring, you need to identify what information should be collected. Don't just collect information for the sake of having it; you must have a purpose, a reason for collecting the information. The questions to ask are:

• What sort of information do we need?
• How will we use the information?
• How can it be collected with the least possible trouble?
• Who will collect it?
• Who will analyse it?