6. NOFO MEL Plan Sample Template Instructions 2020.docx

S/GWI– Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan Guidance

Project/Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plans

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) is an organized process for collecting and analyzing information to determine if an activity is achieving its goals and objectives, whether and how implementation should be adjusted, and what can be learned to strengthen future projects or activities. This is done through creating, utilizing, and reporting on a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan.

Each MEL Plan should contain goals, objectives, and key indicators. Milestones may also be used to signal progress towards an intended result. All indicators, whether at the goal, objective, or output levels, should be accompanied by baselines, targets, disaggregation, data sources, and the frequency of data collection. S/GWI has provided a sample MEL Plan template for convenience. Applicants are not required to use the attached template, but if using their own, they should at least include all the aforementioned components. Each component is described in detail below.

Goals and Objectives: Please use the same goals and objectives listed in the Project Narrative. Guidance for creating goals and objectives can be found in the instructions of Section 2: Project Approach of the Project Narrative Template. Applicants may also choose to include their activities, but since S/GWI encourages community-led project design, we recognize that project activities may not yet have been developed at the initial proposal stage.

When differentiating between goals, objectives, and outputs, it can be helpful to think of outputs as the deliverables of your project’s activities (one training, for example, is the deliverable of a series of activities that include developing a training curriculum, securing a venue, and inviting participants). Together, multiple outputs build towards a desired result (three trainings, for example, can lead to an increase in participants’ knowledge). Outputs are therefore the lower-level steps that combine to achieve results.

Indicators: Indicators are used to track progress towards anticipated results. They should be linked to a project’s goals, objectives, and outputs, and are described in greater detail below. Indicators should be quantifiable and clearly defined. Qualitative indicators are acceptable if they can accurately and reliably show change in a particular phenomenon or attribute. While applicants are encouraged to develop project-specific performance indicators, where possible, please integrate relevant S/GWI indicators (section v of the sample MEL template) to help S/GWI tell the story of its impact across different programs.

While S/GWI welcomes some output indicators, we are most interested in result indicators. At the same time, we understand that cost and time must be balanced when determining what indicators to collect. As the deliverables that combine to achieve a project’s results, outputs and their indicators can only show whether a deliverable has been produced. They do not help us understand whether that deliverable contributed to meaningful change (for example, an output indicator counting the number of trainings cannot tell us whether its participants will participate in an election). Rather, output indicators tell us whether a project is on track and on time.

Results indicators, on the other hand, measure the change that has taken place as a result of the project’s deliverables (for example, an increase in the percentage of women who vote in the election). Whereas output indicators answer the question, “has this happened?”, results indicators answer the question, “did anything change as a result of these things happening?” Each project objective must be accompanied by at least one results indicator.

(number of women who vote/number of women in the province) Province, age

Municipal records

Project end

Baselines are indicator measurements collected before or at the start of a project. They help inform targets and serve as a benchmark for measuring subsequent progress (e.g., percent of women who already vote each year). If 15% women already vote in each municipal election, then the baseline for “women’s voter participation” should be 15%. For some S/GWI projects, the baseline might be 0.

Targets are reasonable estimates of the outputs or results to be achieved by the project over its period of performance. Targets are estimates. Performance may be higher or lower than the target. For any baselines or targets expressed as percentages, please include information on how the percentage was derived, as demonstrated in the examples.

age

Municipal records

34.3% (number of women who vote/number of women in the province)

Data Sources are where the project will find information on its indicators’ results . Data sources should be easy to use for both the participant and the person responsible for analysing the data. Suggested data sources include, but are not limited to:

· Pre and post tests

· Pre and post intervention surveys/questionnaires

· Meeting minutes

· Attendance sheets

· Site visit checklists

· Interviews

· Focus groups

· Secondary Data: Data that already exists (e.g.: Government reports, census information)

· Program reports

Data Disaggregation separates data into its component parts to look at how specific subgroups perform. Since data can be disaggregated in an infinite number of ways, it is important to disaggregate only by the information that you need to know. S/GWI requires all data to be disaggregated by sex and age, at a minimum, to help us understand the different ways in which the project impacts and is impacted by men, women, boys, and girls. Data may need to be divided into additional categories (e.g., region, vocation, type of organization, etc.) to meet the needs of the program, as shown in the example above.

Frequency of Data Collection establishes when data will be collected (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually, or at project start or end). Note that this is not necessarily the frequency of the activity (e.g., literacy classes delivered daily), but rather the frequency by which data will be collected. Consider what timing is feasible for each indicator.

Learning Plan Data and monitoring is only worth the effort if it can improve the effectiveness of the work. Please describe how the learning that takes place throughout implementation will be incorporated to strengthen the project’s effectiveness and avoid unintended consequences. This should include the point person or people responsible for overseeing and reporting this this learning. If awarded, S/GWI encourages awardees to provide success stories and anecdotal or other qualitative evidence of project impact in the quarterly progress reports, in addition to documenting indicator progress in the MEL plan.

Most S/GWI grants require independent evaluations, please explain how the evaluation will be independent and how its findings will be disseminated, if appropriate, to strengthen the applicant’s and/or the field’s evidence base. "Independent” can include a contractor, consultant, or other outside source of an evaluation of the progress, process, or results of a project or activity.

S/GWI recognizes that it may be difficult for some applicants to design results-oriented MEL plans. While we provide some flexibility, where appropriate, we encourage applicants to be as ambitious, comprehensive, and creative as possible.