Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

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• What key products will emerge from this process?
  • A simple MEL plan to support adaptive management.
  • Clarity for reporting progress in the Hub.
• Use this module to answer the following questions:
  • Are we implementing effectively? Are activities/outputs going as planned?
  • Are our assumptions holding up? Is the assumption about the link between activities/outputs and intermediate results supported?
  • Is our theory of change playing out? Are activities/outputs leading to intermediate results? Are intermediate results leading to outcomes? 
    
• Who participates?

  The primary participants are the core planning team. The ideal group size is 3-5 people to incorporate multiple perspectives while also enabling all participants to fully engage. A subject matter expert, such as a member of the Measures Advisory Group (MAG) for a relevant metric, can often be a helpful addition to the third workshop when the team is defining indicators for their outcome. Teams will also need a facilitator—ideally, someone from outside the planning team—who has completed training on this module.

• How much time will it take?

  This module includes three workshop sessions of 3 hours each, plus one kick-off call (10 hours total). The strategy team lead and module facilitator should also expect to commit 1-3 hours of prep and wrap-up time.

• What should we have completed before we start?

  Before beginning this module, the team should have completed a theory of change that articulates activities, outputs, intermediate results, outcomes, and key assumptions, and have socialized that theory of change with key internal or external interested parties. The team should also have initial evidence of success in specific contexts and a promising pathway to scale.

• What are the major steps involved?

  • Session 1: Develop Learning Agenda Questions. Determine which part of the theory of change to test and generate learning agenda questions focused on the selected intermediate result (IR) and outputs.

  • Session 2: Draft the Plan. Complete the MEL plan for the selected IR and outputs.

  • Session 3: Connect to the 2030 Goals. Connect the plan to the 2030 Goals and Metrics by defining success and indicators for the selected outcome(s).