M&E approaches during COVID-19

Topics Ethical research and evaluation | Evidence-based practice | Research and evaluation methods | Innovation and technology | Tools & Guidance

In collaboration with ACFID’s MEL CoP, the Network brings together curated resources to foster reflection and innovation in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) by sharing learned experiences.
The resources below provide a showcase a selection to webinars, resources and tools that have been useful to utilise during the global COVID-19 crisis and subsequent travel restrictions and social distancing guidelines.

Rethinking the model of international MEL

ACFID MEL CoP’s first online webinar explores a fundamental topic of our times: What must we do differently to overcome MEL challenges in a post-COVID world?
This panel discussion brings together four different perspectives on the challenges we face. Panelists include:

  • Patricia Rogers, CEO, Better Evaluation
  • Delvin Varghese, Research Fellow, Department of Human-Centred Computing, Monash University
  • Veronica Bell, Head of International Technical Services, Australian Red Cross
  • Audra Blanchfield, Safe People and Data Initiative, SurveyCTO

The webinar provided an opportunity to delve into the issues and opportunities development practitioners face during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in continuing daily M&E work, study or research. The reflections and conversations restore optimism and confidence to try new methods towards understanding a greatly changed global development paradigm.

Rethinking MEL: A Digital Action Research

Rethinking MEL: A Digital Action Research

Slides from Delvin Varghese on Rethinking MEL: A Digital Action Research

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What must we do differently to overcome MEL challenges in a post-COVID world?

What must we do differently to overcome MEL challenges in a post-COVID world?

Slides from Patricia Rogers on What must we do differently to overcome MEL challenges in a post-COVID world?

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Monitoring and evaluation in the COVID-19 era: challenges and opportunities

In April 2020, the ACFID Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Community of Practice (MELCOP) began to think through the challenge ahead. With programming delays, local lockdown and no more international travel, what was our role now in international development? Hear from three of our MELCOP members on what they thought would happen, and how they prepared for it.

Online Survey Apps

What online survey apps does your organization use? Which ones work best within geographic contexts? 
A recent article from Zapier.com listed these:

We would add:

  • WhatsApp for long-form discussions for people without access to emails or computers
  • Padlet for online workshops or card-sorting activities (smartphone & desktop access)
  • MentiMeter for online polls and short-form survey questions (smartphone & desktop access)

We also came across this low-tech feedback tool called, Feedback Frames, that we think could easily be adapted in multiple languages and locally-delivered. Let us know if you’ve tried it!