Given the importance of a credible monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of NREGS for qualitative improvements, timely redressal of grievances and mid course corrections in implementation, a third party monitoring and evaluation team was set up in June 2009 by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh. The government enrolled seven CSOs for the task, with each CSO responsible for a separate district level M&E. The subject was the ongoing special afforestation programme being implemented through a collaboration between the Forest Department and NREGS division.