Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

Good programmes are built to their fullest potential through iteration, informed by systems that surface what’s working, what isn’t, and why.

We design MEL systems that give organisations the infrastructure to track performance, evaluate implementation, and learn continuously, so that programme adjustments are grounded in evidence, and can avoid the pitfalls of confirmation bias or limited perspectives.

Our MEL work starts with the architecture of a programme’s logic. We support partners in developing robust Theories of Change that make explicit the assumptions linking activities to outcomes, and we translate these into logical frameworks and results chains that can be monitored in practice. This foundational work matters: a MEL system built on an unclear or untested theory of change tends to measure the wrong things well, rather than the right things correctly.

Beyond monitoring indicators, we design and conduct process evaluations and implementation research that examine how a programme is actually being delivered on the ground — fidelity to design, adaptations made in practice, bottlenecks, and unintended consequences. This complements outcome-focused evaluation by explaining not just whether a programme worked, but how and why, which is often the more actionable insight for programme managers.

We also help organisations build learning agendas: structured plans that identify the priority questions a programme or portfolio needs to answer, the evidence required to answer them, and the decision points at which that evidence will be used. This is central to adaptive management — enabling organisations to course-correct in real time rather than waiting for an end-line evaluation to make the necessary adaptations to change what didn’t work.

Our MEL systems are designed to be used in a hands-on management style rather than to support one-time documentation. That means building tools and processes that support a partner’s operational capacity, embedding feedback loops between field teams and decision-makers, and supporting the cultural shift — often the harder part — toward treating monitoring data as a resource for learning rather than a compliance requirement.

We have supported MEL system design for International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Gates Foundation and state governments  across sectors including Digital Finance and Financial Inclusion, as well as Education & Skills.