Not Just Reporting

At its worst, MEL is seen as a donor-driven requirement: endless indicators, lengthy reports, and rigid logframes that get dusted off once a year. But Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) is far more than just compliance.

When done well, MEL is a core governance capability. It enables teams to adapt in real time, improve delivery, and ensure that reforms actually deliver better outcomes—not just better paperwork.

A Simple Definition

Let’s break it down:

• Monitoring tracks what’s happening in a program or policy — the activities, milestones, and outputs being delivered day to day.
• Evaluation examines whether those efforts are achieving the intended outcomes — and why.
• Learning is the continuous process of using this information to reflect, adapt, and improve future performance.

Together, MEL is a feedback loop. One that enables public sector actors to make evidence-informed decisions in complex, rapidly evolving environments.

Who Uses MEL in Development?

MEL is not the domain of a single actor. It is increasingly a shared responsibility across a wide range of stakeholders:

• Government ministries and delivery units rely on MEL to monitor frontline implementation and adjust policy execution.
• Donors and multilaterals use MEL to track results, assess risk, and inform investment decisions.
• Civil society organizations (CSOs) and NGOs use MEL to improve programming and demonstrate accountability to communities.
• Researchers and think tanks use MEL frameworks to evaluate reform outcomes and generate actionable insights.
• Consulting firms and technical partners embed MEL into delivery support to improve agility and course-correct in real time.

When these actors align around a shared vision of learning—not just oversight—MEL becomes a powerful engine for institutional strengthening.

Why MEL Matters — Especially in Government

For public institutions tasked with delivering services and reforms, MEL offers more than just measurement. It provides the early warning systems and learning loops needed to:

• Spot implementation bottlenecks before they escalate
• Course-correct in response to real-world constraints
• Test what works (and what doesn’t) across different contexts
• Improve coordination across fragmented teams and mandates
• Build legitimacy by demonstrating progress and learning from failures

MEL, when embedded effectively, helps governments shift from activity-based delivery to results-based governance.

The Problem: MEL Still Falls Short

Despite its promise, MEL still struggles in many contexts due to three common pitfalls:

1. Too Rigid
Traditional MEL often relies on logframes and KPIs that were locked in at the project design stage. But development is rarely linear. When MEL is treated as a fixed blueprint, it can’t respond to the political, operational, and contextual shifts that arise during implementation.

2. Too Detached
In many programs, MEL is outsourced to third parties or operated in isolation from delivery teams. This creates disconnects between what’s measured and what actually matters on the ground. Insights arrive too late—or not at all—to inform real-time decisions.

3. Too Backward-Looking
Conventional MEL is retrospective. It asks: “Did we achieve what we planned?” But in dynamic environments, the more important question is: “What’s working, what’s not, and what should we do next?”

To be useful, MEL must evolve—from policing to problem-solving. From compliance to course correction.

What Good MEL Looks Like

At Lapnos, we believe that effective MEL systems are:

• Embedded: Integrated into public institutions and aligned with government routines—not parallel systems run by outsiders
• Participatory: Involving implementers, service users, and stakeholders in defining what success looks like
• Adaptive: Designed to evolve with shifting political, operational, and contextual realities
• Practical: Providing timely, relevant insights that inform decisions—not just satisfy donor reporting cycles

MEL should be fit for purpose: tailored to the complexity of the reform, the maturity of the institution, and the real constraints teams face.

How MEL Enables Reform That Lasts

In our work supporting delivery units, digital governance strategies, and reform roadmaps, MEL has played a crucial role in:

• Driving mid-course corrections in national education and health rollouts
• Identifying systemic bottlenecks in procurement, HR, and service delivery chains
• Strengthening inter-ministerial coordination through shared performance frameworks
• Building political momentum by surfacing early wins and credible evidence

This kind of MEL is not a side activity—it’s a core driver of reform durability and delivery performance.

Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

Governments today operate under intense pressure:

• Climate and health crises
• Budgetary and staffing constraints
• Rising public expectations
• Complex donor landscapes
• Shifting geopolitical alignments

In this context, MEL offers more than accountability—it offers resilience. It helps institutions navigate uncertainty, learn faster, and respond better.

What We Believe at Lapnos

At Lapnos, we see MEL as more than a reporting tool. It’s a public sector superpower.

We help governments and development partners design MEL systems that:

• Enable reflection and adaptation in real time
• Build internal capacity to use data for decision-making
• Foster transparency and trust within institutions and across coalitions

Because in the end, MEL isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about making reform stick.