Course Overview
In order to achieve the demands of the various publics that are involved in various projects and programs, there is need that the demands of the different audiences are understood, as well as there is a high degree of accountability. There is need that at the execution stage of any project, there is evidence that there was need in the first instance to have the project, the implementing organization has capacity to do the same, and when valuation is done, the objectives that the project was supposed to meet, have been achieved. Monitoring Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) is a continuous exercise that is supposed to be integrated into any project or business.
MERL brings learning to the early stages of project implementation in a rigorous, empowering, and flexible way. It applies proven monitoring, evaluation, and analytic techniques to increase effectiveness systematically. MERL guides programs in testing key program adaptations to inform how best to achieve desired results – potentially at lower cost. This includes focusing feedback loops on specific aspects of the project, and may also include using advanced statistical methods to reduce required sample sizes and the use of tools that can support rapid data collection – cell phones and tablets for survey implementation, SMS and IVR technology for remote data collection, and geospatial imagery from satellites.