Monitoring, evaluation, and learning with trust and equity: a guide for grant-makers and philanthropists

Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) – when done well – is about impact. It’s about improving what you do, to help you work towards the change you want to see in the world.

In this free guide, we provide practical steps and considerations for how this can be done in ways which are more trusting and equitable, while providing the right kind of evidence and insights to improve your practice.

The guide will help you understand how MEL can be done in ways which support learning, reflection, improvement, and ultimately better and more equitable outcomes.

Download the guide – Monitoring, evaluation, and learning with trust and equity: a guide for grant-makers and philanthropists

Underpinning the guide are six core principles. We encourage all funders to consider them:

• Being intentional is the foundation for a trusting and equitable approach. Increasing clarity and direction helps create transparency for grant-holders, ensures scarce resources are allocated where they can make most difference, and enables equity to be centred from the start.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) is about more than assessing the impact of your grants. We argue for a more expansive view of MEL which makes use of a wide range of evidence and insights to inform your practice. ‘Turning the lens’ and looking inwards is key to creating better grant-making practices, while looking outwards is vital to understanding how you can make the most impact.
• Proportionality is at the heart of good monitoring and evaluation practice. Fundamentally, this means evidence collected is of real value to different stakeholders. Requirements will need to be adapted to stay proportionate. In some instances, this may mean collecting less data, in some instances more.
• Approaches and methods must fit evidence and learning needs. This means questioning default approaches, such as written reporting or evaluation for programmes over a certain value. Instead, be guided by what sources will provide the most meaningful kinds of information to answer learning and accountability needs.
• Make the most of evidence both for you and for others. Ensure there is adequate investment in time and skills to bring together and share learning, and reflect on what you will do differently.
• Bring in other voices. Reflect on whose views should be considered, who gets to decide, and how can you share your power as a funder. This will take time and resources, so opportunities for input should be meaningful and participants should be compensated.

If you would like to explore how you can apply these principles to your practice, or for any other feedback, please contact us.