Collaborative, Participatory & Empowerment Evaluation
Andi Sutter, MPH, MS
MEL Advisor
John Snow Inc R&T
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Raju Tamang, MBA, MHM (he/him/his)
MERL Lead
John Snow India Pvt Ltd
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Raju Tamang, MBA, MHM (he/him/his)
MERL Lead
John Snow India Pvt Ltd
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Elan Ebeling, MPA (she/her/hers)
Program Officer
PATH, Washington, United States
Elan Ebeling, MPA (she/her/hers)
Program Officer
PATH, Washington, United States
Location: White River Ballroom E
Abstract Information: Despite the importance of an intentional monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) approach to be included in the design phase of a program, MEL often remains under-resourced. This is especially prevalent when there are competing priorities within a project, thus, causing the MEL agenda to be constrained or limited. In addition, for many monitoring and evaluation professionals, particularly young professionals, who join a project after startup, we are often juggling learning curves and project deadlines all while attempting to create meaningful measurement approaches. This can be difficult when a project’s design phase lacks attention to the MEL agenda. We must find alternative, low-cost, and mutually beneficial ways for program and evaluation people to work together to integrate measurement and evaluation into program strategies. But, what does this look like? Who is involved? How do we adapt to ensure a program’s activities and outcomes are measured and shared? This birds of a feather session will explore novel ways that evaluators can flourish within a project’s budget through creativity, resourcefulness, and collaboration, in order to tell a powerful and honest story. Participants will be guided through questions and prompts that generate ideation to incorporate non-traditional approaches that can be cost-effective. Participants are encouraged to bring their own relevant experiences to facilitate an open and collaborative forum. They should expect to leave with the skills to adapt and integrate MEL methods into existing program strategies, generate valuable evidence and share lessons learned.
Relevance Statement: Despite the importance of monitoring, evaluation, and learning for program improvement, MEL resources are often constrained and sometimes even deprioritized within program budgets. For many monitoring and evaluation professionals, particularly young professionals, that join a project after startup, we are often juggling learning curves and project deadlines all while attempting to create meaningful measurement approaches. This can be difficult when a project’s design phase lacks attention to the MEL agenda. So how do we work with what we have as a project team to monitor, evaluate and learn about a project’s implementation and outcomes? This discussion aims to explore participants’ creativity and resourcefulness when designing monitoring and evaluation methods with a limited budget. Traditional evaluation designs – such as impact evaluation - and methods – such as household surveys – tend to be costly and are difficult to integrate through existing program strategies. To help coalesce a project, participatory methodologies for monitoring and evaluation will be discussed. This includes approaches in which clients are actively involved in evaluating, where complex situations are considered, and arts-based methods are explored, so that they can be introduced and embedded within planned activities. It will be guided with discussion prompts and questions to encourage a learning environment where participants share experiences (both positive and negative), bring current challenges, and generate ideas when implementing monitoring and evaluation into an existing program. When applicable, the session facilitators will walk through the practical aspects of implementing these methods and brainstorm ways to adapt to their own context.