Theory of Change and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Framework Development
Supporting ActionAid Arab Region develop programmatic Theories of Change, organisational MEAL framework and plan, with basket of indicators.
The Task
ActionAid Arab Region works on three areas: women’s rights, humanitarian response and protection and youth civic and political participation with a number of funded programmes with different log frames and reporting processes in each area. They wanted to consolidate their programme work under one ActionAid Arab Region Theory of Change (TOC), aligned to the federation TOC, with programmatic nested TOCs and a complementary monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) framework and plan.
The Process
I supported the organisation through a facilitated process:
We discussed together to agree the approach and expectations around TOCs and MEAL framework.
Through a five-day workshop series with programmes, business development and communications teams facilitated a process to develop an organisational TOC, with nested programmatic TOCs.
As part of the workshop series, I co-designed with the teams their MEAL framework based on the nested TOCs. We identified MEAL principles, built on existing MEAL practices and identified gaps. The MEAL framework focused on ensuring that the system, data collection, analysis and learning feed into programmatic and organisational decision-making processes.
From this, I developed a workshop guide so they could facilitate a similar process for programme design with partners and wrote up their MEAL framework and plan.
The TOCs and MEAL framework was deployed for use.
The Result
ActionAid Arab Region were able to consolidate and systematise their programmatic and MEAL practices across their programmes leading to better understanding and learning from their programmes feeding into their decision-making. It led to organisational agreement on the changes they want to see in their three programmatic areas: Women’s Rights; humanitarian response and protection and youth civic and political participation.
"Jo is extremely collaborative, building on the team's knowledge and ways of working to develop Theories of Change and a MEAL framework that all participants feel ownership over. The MEAL framework allowed us to start to consolidate our portfolio of programmes and understand our results and impact against our strategic objectives. It was a pleasure to work with merl." Caroline McClausland, Regional Director, ActionAid Arab Region.