Service 02 of 05
Evaluation and MEAL
Examine performance, explain change, and strengthen learning
ERC supports organizations to assess what a programme is achieving, how it is working, where it needs to adapt, and how monitoring and learning systems can better serve decisions.
Decision supported
This service supports decisions about programme continuation, adaptation, scale, resource use, design quality, accountability, and future strategy. It can also help teams strengthen the evidence they use between formal evaluations.
- 01Criteria
- 02Evidence
- 03Judgement
- 04Learning
What ERC does
ERC may support evaluation framing, evaluation questions and matrices, theory of change review, method selection, sampling, tool development, primary and secondary data collection, analysis, interpretation, stakeholder validation, reporting, and learning facilitation.
MEAL support may include indicator review, monitoring plans, data-quality routines, feedback and accountability processes, and practical learning cycles.
Methods may include document and monitoring-data review, surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, observation, case studies, comparison against agreed criteria, contribution analysis, and mixed-method synthesis.
The design follows the evaluation purpose, users, available evidence, timing, access, and ethical considerations.
Quality safeguards
Quality safeguards may include an agreed evaluation matrix, transparent judgement criteria, evidence triangulation, independence of analysis, documented limitations, stakeholder validation, and a clear line from evidence to conclusions and recommendations. Ethical and data-protection controls are adapted to the people and risks involved.
Client deliverables
- Evaluation design and matrix
- Theory of change review
- Data collection tools
- Clean dataset or evidence inventory
- Evaluation report and concise summary
- Recommendation and management-response framework
- MEAL framework or indicator reference sheet
- Validation, learning, or decision workshop
Scoping inputs
Share the programme documents, evaluation purpose, intended users, key decisions, theory of change or results framework, available monitoring data, timing, budget range, stakeholder groups, and any independence requirements.
Plan the use of an evaluation before planning the report
Tell ERC which decision the evaluation must inform and who needs to act on its findings.