The collection of data required for an evaluation should be planned before the relevant programme activity commences: in the absence of a clear data collection strategy an evaluation may not be possible or be limited.
Monitoring and evaluation are complementary activities, and ideally the design and requirements for each should be considered together. This will facilitate the collection of relevant and high quality data and avoid duplication or missed opportunities for the collection of key data. Early identification of any existing data, or other ongoing data collection processes that can be utilised for the evaluation will ensure best use of resources and effort.
It is important to design data collection tools so that they are consistent with relevant existing, or previous, data monitoring and collection tools to enable comparison and ensure data consistency.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requirements need to be taken into account and planned for prior to collecting data, particularly for monitoring data collected from individuals.
