Planning and practice in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning

Programme

This course will be delivered entirely online, through facilitated live sessions (using Zoom) as well as individual and group activities on the Bond learning platform. We work hard to make sure you get the same level of interaction and facilitator support as you would in our training room. You’ll work in breakout rooms, use case studies and co-create documents – all online

1: Why do MEAL? Current MEAL trends and drivers 

• Why organisations invest in MEAL systems 
• A brief overview of key current MEAL trends and implications for organisations

2: Overview of MEAL cycle/system

3: Key terms used in MEAL

• Recap on key terms used in MEAL: goal (impact), outcome, output
• Introduction to case study: reviewing programme goal and outcomes

4: Developing a systematic MEAL plan; purpose and key audiences

• Introduction to a systematic approach for developing a MEAL system and plan 
• Group work: defining the purpose of a MEAL system and key audiences

5: Defining key MEAL questions and indicators 

• The purpose of MEAL questions and indicators
• Group work: defining key MEAL questions and indicators 

6: Introduction to MEAL methods and tools

• Overview of tools used in MEAL processes
• The use and how to limit the abuse of tools
• Practice using a simple survey tool and analysing qualitative and quantitative evaluation data 

7: Deciding MEAL plan methods and tools for case study

• Group work: deciding on key data collection methods and tools 
• Complete MEAL plans for peer review

8: Peer review of MEAL plans

• Practice presenting a MEAL plan
• Practice giving constructive feedback on a MEAL plan

9: Evaluation approaches

• Overview of evaluation approaches and examples
• Group work: designing an evaluation process
• Share and review evaluation plans

10: Communicating MEAL results

• Group work: communicating findings to different audiences

11: Practical solutions for addressing MEAL

• Open space: practical solutions for addressing participant gaps in MEAL
• Open forum for remaining questions and discussion points

Schedule

All live session times refer to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Check the live session start and end time in your timezone here (please ensure you choose the right date when checking timezones).

Pre-course activity: approximately 75 minutes' work required before live session 1

Live session 1: Monday 8th February, 3.5 hour session, 9.30 - 13.00 GMT

Group task: 60 minutes' work required between live session 1 and 2

Live session 2: Wednesday 10th February, 3.5 hour session, 9.30 - 13.00 GMT

Group task: 60 minutes' work required between live session 2 and 3

Live session 3: Thursday 11th February, 1 hour optional 'office hours' (times to be announced)

Group task: 30 minutes' work required between live session 3 and 4

Live session 4: Friday 12th February, 3.5 hour session, 9.30 - 13.00 GMT

30 minutes' individual work following the live session

Booking deadline

Bookings will close at 15:00 GMT on the last working day day before the course to enable us to email participants the joining instructions ahead of the first live session.