Building Participatory and Inclusive Multi-partner Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Systems

Abstract Information: There is a growing recognition amongst monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) professionals supporting international democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) programs that high-quality MEL – just like high-quality programs in general – must be collaborative and substantively informed by the diverse priorities and interests of the actors who are meant to benefit from such a program. DRG MEL professionals are grappling with the practical challenges of implementing community-led, inclusive and responsive MEL, particularly in the complex and dynamic contexts in which DRG programs operate. Done well, such efforts amplify and center the perspectives of communities in the global south, particularly marginalized communities who have historically been disproportionately underrepresented in these programs’ design and MEL (DMEL) initiatives. However, to date, these efforts are often piecemeal. For instance: An organization might leverage participatory monitoring approaches, such as Most Significant Change or Outcome Mapping, but conduct a performance evaluation led solely by an organization’s headquarters, with the report only being shared internally and with the program’s funder. An organization might seek to co-design an evaluation with program participants but fail to first assess and bolster participants’ MEL capacity, including any differing skill levels such as amongst marginalized communities, thereby creating a barrier to participants confidently contributing to the evaluation. An organization might even implement thoughtful, locally led M&E practices, but still neglect to take a collaborative approach to reflecting on, learning from, and adapting the program through engaging participants as well as other stakeholders working on similar issues – both within the operating environment and at a global scale. Over the past several years, the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) has undertaken an effort to ensure the DRG programs it implements are bolstered by participatory, inclusive MEL systems. Such a system integrates, among other practices, tailored MEL capacity enhancement for participants where needed; inclusion-related indicators and disaggregation based on relevant country demographics, with data collection practices that leverage a ‘do no harm’ approach and prioritize accessibility for diverse participants; evaluation of key inclusion outcomes; recurring ‘pause and reflect’ sessions that frequently include local partners; and an overarching global theory of change and learning agenda that centers inclusion. This panel session will provide concrete lessons CEPPS has learned over the process of designing its approach for participatory and inclusive MEL, highlight specific case studies where CEPPS has implemented these practices, and discuss areas for further reflection and growth moving forward. Attendees will leave the session better equipped to design and implement a MEL system driven by diverse communities supported through international development programming.