This slide deck, from a presentation to the Local Systems Community by Tjip Walker and David Jacobstein, shows various ways in which assessing the political economy of a context and understanding that context through the lens of systems thinking can reinforce each other. Effective systems practice should be grounded in the incentives and ...

Focus group interviews (also often called focus group discussions) are a key tool for collecting data to support many USAID activities. This data collection technique is widely used in international development planning, monitoring, and evaluation. They are quick, versatile and typically inexpensive, so they can be used with a broad range...

These tips are part of a series of tips and resources to support context-driven adaptation in programming. For other resources, see the Context-Driven Adaptation Collection at https://usaidlearninglab.org/context-driven-adaptation-overview (internal staff version at https://programnet.usaid.gov/collection/context-driven-adaptation) or the...

The Performance Management Plan (PMP) Task Schedule provides a comprehensive and interactive schedule of all of the monitoring, evaluation, and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) tasks that will occur over the expected life of the Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). The Task Schedule helps the Mission ...

A composite indicator (or index) combines two or more data sources into a single measure. From the Self-Reliance Metrics to the CSO Sustainability Index, composite indicators are everywhere at USAID. They are in our Country Development Cooperation Strategies and in the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning plans.This webinar provi...

This blog was written by Nancy Peek, M&E Fellow, USAID/KEA/FFP and Laurie Starr, Strategic Learning Advisor, Save the ChildrenIntroductionAdaptive management is a key principle that supports ADS 201 and is described as a structured, iterative process for making decisions in “response to changes in context and new information…...

Each activity is required to have an Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan to support management of the activity and to inform USAID and the implementing partner about whether and how an activity is making progress toward stated results. The How-To Note: Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan provides an ove...

This How-To Note supplements USAID's Automated Directives System (ADS) 201.3.4.10. It lists Agency requirements for programmatic site visits, identifies practical steps and effective practices for planning and conducting a site visit, and recommends follow-up actions once a site visit has taken place. This How-To Note is intended as a res...

Recommendations for multilateral funding agencies to increase the use of forest monitoring tools across development sectors, as a matter of policy and practice to meet sustainability goals.https://bankinformationcenter.org/en-us/update/forest-monitoring-what-can-world-bank--others-do/