The verdict in three sentences
For an NGO managing 8 projects funded by 5 donors from Geneva, the hidden cost of monitoring and evaluation is re-keying: same beneficiaries, same activities, five logframes and five report formats. A custom M&E application from Kolonell, at EUR 6,100 to 10,670 (4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA), links field collection via KoboToolbox or mobile forms to a single indicator database, then generates quarterly reports in each donor's format. Delivered in 3 to 5 months, it frees the M&E team for analysis instead of copy and paste.
Why multi-donor breaks spreadsheets
A Geneva-based NGO with field offices in Africa or the Middle East typically receives funds from the European Union, a UN agency, a bilateral cooperation such as SDC, a foundation and a pooled humanitarian fund. Each one imposes its logframe, indicator definitions, disaggregation (sex, age, disability, location) and calendar. The M&E lead ends up with 30 to 50 hand-linked Excel files.
| Common problem | Consequence | What the application provides |
|---|---|---|
| One beneficiary counted in 3 projects | Duplicates in consolidated reports | Unique ID, automatic deduplication |
| Indicators defined differently | Inconsistent figures across donors | Master indicator linked to each logframe |
| Paper or scattered forms | 2 to 4 weeks of data entry lag | Daily KoboToolbox sync |
| Incomplete disaggregation | Reports rejected or redone | Mandatory fields at collection |
| Manual quarterly reports | 8 to 12 days per quarter per donor | Word or Excel output in donor format |
| No consolidated view | Leadership blind on target achievement | Dashboard by project, area and donor |
| Poor connectivity in the field | Late data | Offline entry, upload when back online |
Options and their cost in 2026
| Option | Entry cost | Recurring cost | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel and KoboToolbox only | EUR 0 | M&E team time | No consolidation, error risk |
| ActivityInfo | Low, self-service setup | About EUR 4,000-15,000 per year by users (market estimate) | Generic report formats, per-user pricing |
| DevResults | EUR 2,000-5,000 onboarding (estimate) | About EUR 10,000-40,000 per year (market estimate) | Built for large portfolios |
| Geneva agency custom build | CHF 60,000-150,000 (market estimate) | 10-15 % maintenance per year | High local day rates |
| Kolonell custom application | EUR 6,100-10,670 | Standard maintenance EUR 110 per month | 3 to 5 month delivery |
| 3-year cost, Kolonell custom | EUR 10,100-14,630 | Included | Data owned by the NGO |
ActivityInfo and DevResults are solid and well suited to large organizations with standard reporting. Custom is justified when you want to reproduce your donors' formats exactly, work offline in the field and keep data hosted under your own beneficiary protection policies.
Typical scope of a 3 to 5 month project
| Step | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| M&E scoping | 2 to 3 weeks | Inventory of the 5 logframes, master indicators |
| Beneficiary and activity database | 3 to 4 weeks | Unique ID, deduplication rules |
| KoboToolbox and form integration | 3 to 4 weeks | Sync, consistency checks |
| Reports per donor | 3 to 5 weeks | Quarterly and annual templates generated |
| Dashboard and training | 2 to 3 weeks | Geneva and field teams trained |
Budget it under the "monitoring and evaluation" or operating cost line of your proposals: many donors accept 3 to 7 % of the project budget for M&E.
Mini case study
Anna, M&E manager of an NGO in Geneva, produces 5 quarterly reports per donor across 8 projects. Each report takes about 3 days, i.e. 60 days a year, plus 20 days of data cleaning. With the application, she expects to bring that total down to 25 days. The 55 days freed, valued at CHF 650 per loaded day, represent CHF 35,750 a year. For a Kolonell project at about EUR 8,500 plus EUR 1,320 of annual maintenance, payback comes in under 3 months on time saved alone, not counting rejected reports avoided and stronger credibility at funding renewals.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
FAQ
How much does M&E software cost for an NGO in Geneva in 2026?
A Kolonell custom application costs EUR 6,100 to 10,670 depending on the number of projects and donors. ActivityInfo and DevResults charge, as a market estimate, about EUR 4,000 to 40,000 a year depending on users and portfolio size.
Can we keep KoboToolbox for collection?
Yes. KoboToolbox forms remain the enumerators' tool and submissions are synced daily via API. Consistency checks flag anomalies within 24 hours.
How do we handle different logframes per donor?
Each master indicator links to one or more donor indicators, with its own calculation and disaggregation rules. One beneficiary thus feeds 3 reports without being counted twice.
Does the application work offline in the field?
Yes, data entry works without connection and syncs when the network returns. Intermittent 3G is enough for daily use from field offices.
Can the cost be charged to a funded project?
Often yes, under the M&E line, frequently 3 to 7 % of the budget. We provide a detailed quote you can use in your proposals.
Let's scope your project. Describe your projects, donors and collection tools: we define the modules, a budget in the EUR 6,100-10,670 range and a 3 to 5 month calendar. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
