It is well recognized that the success of programmes largely depends on the effective delivery system and efficient implementation at the grass roots levels so that the programme benefits reach the rural poor in full measures. In order to ensure this, the department has evolved a comprehensive multi-level and multi-tool system of Monitoring and Evaluation for the implementation of the programmes. The Monitoring mechanism includes, inter-alia, the Performance Review Committee, Review Meetings by the Ministry of Rural Development and Ministers of State with the Chief Ministers/ Minister of Rural Development and officers of the state, the Area Officers Scheme, Periodic progress reports, audit and Utilisation certificates, video conferencing and field visits etc.
The Vigilance and Monitoring committees at State and District levels in all State/UTs have been constituted to monitor the implementation of programme and introduce greater transparency. These committees inter-alia include MPs/MLAs, representative of Panchayati Raj Institutions and NGOs. The Members of Parliament both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been assigned a central role in the reconstituted V&M Committees and they have been nominated Chairman/Co-Chairman of the district level V&M Committee.
The Union Government in recent years has given emphasis on e-governance in all possible areas. Accordingly, online monitoring system has been placed. This department has placed online reporting of quarterly progress report on watershed projects and data are feed at project-level, state -level and national level and regularly monitored. Also another online Monthly Programme Reporting system has been placed and a few others are on pipelines. The department conducts evaluation study of all major programmees, Impact Assessment studies to assess the over-all impact of programme of village level is also conducted in selected studies/ regions.