Building a Measurement Framework, and how to listen well
When considering Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL), it’s crucial to reflect on both what you are measuring and, perhaps more importantly, what you are not measuring—and why that is. Many organisations recognise the need to track their activities but often fail to organise, document and showcase their efforts.
Before diving into impact measurement, outcomes frameworks, and other industry jargon, it's essential to unpack the why and what of your evaluation strategy – as well as the how and who!
Understanding Your Objectives
When teams lift their heads from the day-to-day tasks, they often begin to confront challenging questions about overall strategy, desired outcomes, and the impact they wish to create. The answers to these questions form the foundation for determining how you will evaluate your progress.
Organisations of all types are increasingly aware of the importance of measuring impact, whether it focuses on environmental or social outcomes. Once you develop a clear internal vision that aligns with business as usual but specifically addresses impact, engaging both internal and external stakeholders - including the communities you serve - is vital to ensure that your outcomes, and how you are measuring them, are relevant and meaningful.
Listening to the Community
One extremely important but often overlooked part of building a measurement framework is listening to the community. Connecting with the leaders, people, and groups organisations work with helps make sure your measurement efforts align with their needs and perspectives. Here’s how to bring community feedback into the mix:
Build trust and be open: Take the time to create solid relationships with the leaders of the service providers or charitable organisations you’re working with, as well as other prominent community members. This will help everyone feel more comfortable talking openly, leading to better insights and teamwork when it comes to shaping your objectives and measurement approach.
Hold community chats: Ask for input on what partner organisations are already measuring and learning about. Talking to community members and the groups supporting them can help you figure out what really matters and what metrics will hit home for them.
Tweak based on feedback: Use what you hear from the community to adjust your metrics, indicators or approaches over time. This keeps your objectives and measurements relevant and impactful for the organisations you’re working with.
By really listening to the community, you can boost your measurement framework, making sure it aligns with your goals and addresses the actual needs of those you’re trying to help. This teamwork not only strengthens your MEL practice but also builds better, more lasting relationships with the community!
Key Questions to Consider
As you develop your measurement framework, consider these questions:
Are we clear about where we’re heading and why we are taking the necessary actions both internally and externally?
What are the essential metrics our ecosystem needs us to measure, and what should we deliberately choose not to measure? Why?
How can we ensure that our measurement approach is meaningful, integrating learnings at various stages to avoid going off course?
Developing Your Plan
To effectively measure your impact, consider the following steps:
Step back and focus on the bigger picture before delving into the specifics.
Assess your current practices: What are you doing, what are you not doing, and why?
Be collaborative: Bring your community and stakeholders along for the ride! Engage them in the process and make sure their voices are heard.
Prioritise learning: Create mechanisms to gather insights and feedback continuously.
Embed feedback loops into your framework to ensure you can course-correct or pivot as needed.