Monitoring and evaluation scheme using the multiple-criteria-decision-making technique: Application to irrigation projects

dThe application of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to assess agricultural projects has received some attention in recent years. These systems provide valuable information for managers and decision makers by analyzing the implementation process, the progress of trends, and the long-term and short-term effectiveness of these projects. An algorithm is developed to monitor and evaluate drip and pressure irrigation projects in Iran. Different indicators are identified and the framework of an integrated evaluation system is demonstrated using an analytical hierarchy process for multiple-criteria-decision making. There is much subjective information that is quantified and normalized in order to remove any bias in evaluators' assessment of qualitative measures or sensitivity to linguistic expressions. The application of this system to rank projects in different regions (zones) in Iran is also presented in this paper. The results have shown the significant value of such systems in providing information and input for different decision-making levels.