On this page we answer the question, what is Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning? We explain why we think it’s important and our approach.
You can also view our related training courses and news. We also offer consultancy, facilitation and coaching on this subject.
Accepting that circumstances and factors surrounding social interventions and projects tend to be dynamic and emergent requires a major focus on learning. We understand MEL as the reflection-action learning processes happening during and after any social intervention aimed at maximizing contribution to transformative changes, including implementing organisations’ changes. "Not everything that can be counted counts…not everything that counts can be counted." W. Bruce Cameron.
From a learning perspective, MEL participation of different stakeholders – understood as methods, tools, approaches, practices and attitudes – is not just considered a “good practice” but actually constitutes a core, pragmatic principle to inform processes of organisational learning and decision making. Since knowledge is to be created by actors on the ground, programmes need to be informed by stakeholders’ interpretation and participation in making sense of their experiences.
We believe that our role as evaluators is to facilitate collaborative processes that are empowering and contribute to a sense of ownership for stakeholders.
In our experience, when introducing a participatory and facilitative approach to reflection and data collection, new insights and learning will emerge which are of direct and immediate use to the stakeholders involved, so that the outcome of the evaluation is not limited to the report and accountability to funders and donors.
In our MEL activities we focus our attention on data and information coming from participatory processes from grassroots for decision making and learning at organisational level.
We use different evaluation frameworks such as casual frameworks including logframes and Theory of Change (ToC), Participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning; contribution frameworks, such as Outcome Mapping and Process Tracing, as well as gender analysis approaches with intersectional perspectives which are closely linked with evaluation frameworks around power asymmetries.
In our work we apply a wide range of technical skills for social research, including qualitative and quantitative tools to aid data generation, and collective and multi-stakeholder analysis and sense making. We particularly favour transformative participatory tools that are oriented in reflection and action.
Tags: Consultancy, Evaluation, WFP, Theory of Change, Silvia Capezzuoli
Website: https://www.wfp.org/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning
Tags: Monitoring and Evaluation, data gathering, training, Theory of Change, learning, results, evidence
Website: https://www.trustdevcom.org.uk/
We will soon be publishing our Brochure for 2020.
Whether you’re planning ahead for your training or consultancy needs, or just want to read more about our facilitation approach make sure you get your copy! Read about our training course subject areas, tailor-made workshops, our Certificate in International Development offer, and about how we encourage positive behaviour change.
Please email post@imainternational.com to receive your pdf 2020 brochure. Do provide your postal address if you want to receive a copy through the post.
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Relationships
We believe trust comes from the building of relationships, from the process of knowing individuals and organisations in a way which helps to construct and de-construct ideas and assumptions people strongly relate to and believe. We appreciate that our clients continue to invite us in at key points in their own growth and regard us as consultants they can trust to work relationally with them and support their organisations, programmes and people in new and multiple ways.
Trust
We think a key component in bringing about transformational change is the concept of trust. Trust is key in all the work we do and...
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There is an increasing engagement and commitment to Knowledge Management (KM) and Knowledge Sharing (KS) in the International Development Community. A strong feature of a successful approach, and one which we advocate on our workshops and consultancies is that to look at KM through a people lens rather than purely through ICT. This reading of KM brings attention to the real day-today relating and practices in organisations, and a focus here can truly embed and institutionalise knowledge sharing. KM needs to be understood not as an isolated discipline but as an integral part of organisational culture, when knowledge is effectively...
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Transformational processes of change can often involve conflict. When a change process challenges people´s mind-sets, identities and relationships, an organisation can feel a bit shaken. It is not easy for any of us to leave our comfort zones, neither is it easy to manage this process. What can be done when people don’t like what they see in the mirror or just refuse to look?
Although organisations have visible structures, policies and procedures in place to help regulate organisational life, there is still an invisible dimension that we commonly refer to as the organisational culture. It relates to those unwritten norms and...
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In our fast changing global context, there’s a great space of possibilities for how leadership is perceived and exercised, and scope to approach leadership thinking and concepts from different angles. Although traditional leadership and management models still have a place, for us to reach the SDG’s we must enquire into what is now required of leadership – in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world, and how we can be part of expressing fitting leadership.
Two qualities of fitting leadership are relational and emotional skills. Leaders who develop these skills are able to mediate and create safe...
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