At the country level, the EITI process has a robust, built-in monitoring and evaluation system to measure progress:
- Every year, each implementing country is required to update a fully-costed work plan to reflect the objectives and actions of the national EITI. The work plan is required to reflect how the EITI relates to progress (see requirement 1.5).
- At the end of each year, each implementing country is required to produce an Annual Progress Report (APR) that reflects and monitors the progress against the objectives and actions set out in the work plan and any impact the EITI has had (see requirement 7.4). The APRs are listed on the EITI country pages under "key documents".
Both the work plan and the APR are developed and approved by the multi-stakeholder group, ensuring that the framework for routine monitoring and evaluation has the support of government, companies and civil society. This a collaborative and deliberative process (distinct from a “top down” set of indicators imposed on countries).
In addition to the annual review countries conduct themselves, the country is required to undertake an external evaluation: Validation. Not only does this process assess the country’s progress against the EITI Standard, it also makes an impact assessment (see requirement 7).
Collectively, these tools ensure an in-country planning, monitoring and evaluation process designed to improve implementation and deliver real impact on the ground.