REPORTING IS NOT

ENOUGH WASH Sustainability 3-Part Webinar Series

August 6, 2014

AN INTRO TO MONITORING,

EVALUATION, RESOLUTION,

AND LEARNING (MERL)

WASH Sustainability 3-Part Webinar Series

Elynn Walter, WASH Advocates

ewalter@WASHadvocates.org

Definitions • Monitoring uses indicators to measure effectiveness over time

including during the life of a program and post-implementation. Post‐implementation monitoring occurs after installation of the WASH service or completion of a discreet project.

• Evaluation is the long‐term systematic and objective assessment of an ongoing or completed project, program, or policy, and its design, implementation, and results.

• Resolution is the process of addressing problems identified through monitoring and/or evaluation.

• Learning is the process of incorporating lessons learned into ongoing practices to increase effectiveness and sustainability over time. Learning includes documenting and sharing best practices and lessons learned both internally and externally among all stakeholders.

Program

Life

Cycle

Monitoring The process of using indicators to

measure program changes over

time. Post-implementation

monitoring is undertaken after

installation of the WASH service or

program.

Evaluation The long-term systematic and

objective assessment of an ongoing

or completed project, program, or

policy, and its design,

implementation and results.

Evaluations should be performed by

an external third party.

Learning The process of incorporating

lessons learned into ongoing

practices to increase effectiveness

and sustainability over time.

Resolution The process of addressing

problems identified through

monitoring and evaluation results.

Design Phase Implementation Post-Project Management and Operation

Resolution Learning

Monitoring Evaluation

Monitoring

Learning

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All four elements of MERL should be incorporated into the design phase,

including roles, activities, and

expectations for each

Monitoring and learning activities should be continuous

throughout implementation. Evaluations should be

conducted at critical milestones or upon an annual basis, followed by resolution

activities to strengthen the project/program.

Responsibility of continued MERL activities will change during post-project management and

operation. Monitoring should remain steady, while evaluation, resolution, and learning activities will be scaled down over time, as project outputs become institutionalized and live out their life cycle design.

Other Terminology and Acronyms • Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

• Oxfam

• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)

• The Water Institute at UNC

• Overseas Development Institute (ODI)

• Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (PMEL)

• Engineers Without Borders (EWB-USA)

• Life & Peace Institute

• Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation (PM&E)

• UNDP

• Post Project review

• Imperial College London

Other Terminology and Acronyms contd.

• Monitoring and Action Plans

• Waterlines

• Post-construction support and sustainability

• World Bank

• IRC

• Post Implementation Monitoring

• Action Against Hunger

• Post Implementation Monitoring and Support (PIMS)

• charity: water

• Post Implementation Monitoring Surveys (PIMS)

• WaterAid

Approaches

• Sustainable Service Delivery

• IRC

• Continuous Quality Improvement

• The Water Institute at UNC

• National Learning Consortium

Why MERL?

Why create a new acronym?

Resolution is the least addressed and least talked about

THE CASE FOR

RESOLVING PROBLEMS

WITH WATER SYSTEMS IN

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

WASH Sustainability 3-Part Webinar Series

Susan Davis, Improve International

Email: sdavis@improveinternational.org

www.improveinternational.org

Source: Improve International http://improveinternational.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/global-water-point-failure-rates/

Aren’t good intentions enough?

Services

rehabilitated

Services

infrastructure

Reasons for Water System Failures

The case for resolution

•Water is a human right

•To save lives / change lives, need

good water services forever

•Massive waste of investment (not just

ours) - failed systems make poor

people poorer

•Many problems attributed to poor

implementation

Photo: CARE Kenya

How do you create a

system to respond to water

point failure that “is

supportive and yet doesn't

create a dependency"?

- A donor

Thank

you !

QUESTIONS?

Workshops, Presentations, and Webinars

related to MERL

• February 2014 Resolution Workshop • The Workshop report can be found here:

www.WASHadvocates.org/learn/sustainability/merl

• 2014 WASH Sustainability Forum

• PechaKucha Presentation by Susan Davis

• WASH Sustainability Webinars

• MERL 3-Part Series

What’s Next?

• Upcoming Webinars

• August 27: Addressing the Resolution Gap

10:00 – 11:30 AM EDT

• September 17: A Framework for Action

10:00 – 11:30 AM EDT

• Resolution Resource Collection

HELP US ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

• WHO should be responsible for resolution and/or

post-implementation monitoring? Who pays? For how

long?

• HOW can we learn from the data and integrate those

lessons into current and future programming? How do

we address problems?

• WHAT resources, tools, frameworks, and approaches

should be used to resolve issues? WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Handbooks

• Surveys

• Case studies

• Checklists

• Evaluations

• Cost data

• Contract language (agreements between

service providers and community water

committees, sustainability clauses)

SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS TO:

SUSTAINABILITY@WASHADVOCATES.ORG

List of resources:

www.WASHadvocates.org/learn/sustainability/merl