monitoring evaluation learning

Three questions about MEL for projects dealing with complexity

Last week I wrote to the Peregrine Discussion Group on Better Evaluation with a couple of questions on M&E or MEL of initiates that try ton address complex social and development problems. I have received many very interesting replies which i am posting below together with my questions. My questions 1) What do you think […]

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How to evaluate innovation? In conversation with Jordi del Bas

Innovation is a confusing buzzword. There is no clarity and that what innovation is can be very subjective. Is the lack of a clear definition of innovation a problem in terms of evaluating innovation? What do the evaluators of innovation look for when they are called in to do their work?

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Photo by Linus Nylund on Unsplash

What is policy impact? Well, it depends from what we mean by policy change

During the last few weeks I have been working on the  design of an adaptive monitoring and learning framework to assess contribution to policy change on climate adaptation in few countries.  Working on the framework made me re-read some articles and papers about policy change which I had read some years ago. Below the key

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MLE or MEL in adaptive programming?

I was in Manila last week to attend the practitioners’ forum organised by the Asia Foundation on Adaptive Programming and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning. A really good workshop where to share of experiences about tailoring MEL systems to fit the accountability demands from funders and support the adaptation and iteration of programmes. In attendance there

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A conversation about policy experiments

The search for ways to design policies that help to solve societal problems is continuously evolving. The traditional evidence-based approach to policy making involves generating research results and using these to inform policy decisions. This blog post is based on an interview with Mikko Annala, Head of Governance Innovation at Demos Helsinki. It was originally posted on

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Estimating the return on investment of policy research and engagement

by Tanty Nurhayati Djafar , Ni Wayan Suriastini , and Arnaldo Pellini Is it possible to calculate the return of investment on a research policy project? Well, the Indonesian think tank SurveyMETER and the Knowledge Sector Initiative have given it a go for a policy research project on services and infrastructure for the aging population in the Indonesian municipality of Balikpapan. Here is what

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Doing Development Differently means Doing Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Differently too

Recently, we attended a two-day workshop on ‘Implementing the New Development Agenda: Doing Development Differently (DDD), Thinking and Working Politically (TWP) and Problem Driven Iterative Adaption (PDIA).’ The event was co-organised by the Knowledge Sector Initiative, the KOMPAK programme, and The World Bank in Indonesia and attended by practitioners, researchers, government and other partners –

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