These local communities are uniquely placed to see and feel project risks and impacts on a day to day basis, and to monitor and report on project implementation more closely and regularly than is possible for development implementers and financiers. Communities organizing themselves to conduct local monitoring can therefore benefit both community members who wish to see projects implemented in a safe and beneficial way, as well as project implementers and financiers, who wish to see projects implemented efficiently and according to design.
Local monitoring mechanisms have the potential to ensure the effective implementation of different risk mitigation programs; in addition to strengthening the capacity of project-affected communities to effectively participate, monitor and report on, and advocate for timely project adjustments before things go wrong.
The Bank Information Center has developed a manual for local monitoring that presents a process and tools for communities to set up their own local monitoring mechanisms. This manual is designed to be used by communities and community organizations who wish to monitor the implementation of development projects that have the potential to impact or benefit them. The manual addresses such questions as:
The manual is currently available in Arabic, and an English version is forthcoming.
Read, download, and share the manual here:
For the good of all: A community guide to monitoring development projects, Bank Information Center, 2016 (Arabic)