EDI Global’s MEL Practice brings together high-quality data, research insights, and cutting-edge MEL thinking and methodologies to help our clients assess programme performance and maximise impact.
Our MEL team combines in-depth knowledge of African social, political and economic contexts with a wide range of skills and methodologies, including in designing theories of change, results frameworks, mixed method evaluations (qualitative, quantitative, behavioural, experimental, and quasi-experimental), and learning and adaptation. We strive to stay at the frontier of the latest MEL approaches and tools, and we apply adaptive learning to our own approach to MEL.
Our MEL services cut across multiple sectors, including agriculture, health, education, early childhood development, climate and energy, social protection, women and youth, private sector development, transport, governance, civic engagement and human rights, and water, sanitation and hygiene.
We apply a participatory and co-creating approach in all our MEL services and we place a strong emphasis on localisation, inclusion, and the participation of our stakeholders – the communities and individuals whose lives and livelihoods are at the heart of the programmes we evaluate.
We have expertise in mixed-methods evaluation approaches, including theory-based evaluation (e.g., contribution analysis, process tracing, realist approach, outcome harvesting), impact evaluation using randomised controlled trials, and quasi-experimental methods. We have built a very strong data collection team and robust quality assurance systems that will ensure that all the data collected for monitoring and evaluation are checked and verified, and are of the highest quality.
For larger programmes, we apply adaptive MEL with rapid and continuous ‘learn and adapt’ or ‘fail-fast’ approaches, where we detect, course-correct or shut down interventions that are not meeting their performance objectives. We apply internal and external learning loops to our adaptive MEL. We also carry out developmental evaluation, with a focus on innovation, learning and design.
We offer complexity-informed MEL that applies a systems thinking and systems dynamics lens. We adapt our theories of change, results frameworks, and data collection processes as a result of applying this complexity lens. We work with our clients to create systems maps, stakeholder maps, and multi-layered theories of change, and then apply mixed-methods analysis to triangulate data.
We also carry out programme performance evaluations/reviews and portfolio evaluations, and we provide MEL technical assistance support to organisations and governments in Africa, as well as to international clients.
We have extensive experience in applying the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and National Audit Office’s VfM frameworks, as well as the UK Government’s Green Book methodology. We conduct assessments in accordance with this guidance in order to construct appropriate performance standards, together with conducting econometric analysis of costs and benefits to assess the economy, efficiency, effectiveness, cost effectiveness and equity of programmes.
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