The two most common mistakes we see organizations make when creating a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system involve a lack of Upfront Thinking: 1) measurement is disconnected from strategy; and 2) there’s a rush to build digital data solutions, including dashboards, without defining the problem that’s being solved.During this session at the Global Digital Development Conference (Apr 27- 29, 2021), participants learned why it’s good practice to invest in Upfront Thinking before building a MEL system. Participants also received two tools – a logic model and logframe - to guide upfront thinking and maximize data use and learning. You can find templates and guidelines on how to use Upfront Thinking tools below.
Logic Model
A Logic Model zooms in on the specific pathway that your program will tackle. A logic model portrays a neat, orderly structure for a particular pathway of change, which makes it easier for you and your donors/stakeholders to monitor program implementation. The Logic Model should be updated when you revise your strategy or when you add several new types of projects to your portfolio.
A Logframe is a table that provides an overview of a project’s goal, activities, anticipated results, and assumptions – it is a planning tool. A logframe specifies the components of a project and its activities and how they relate to one another. A logframe also identifies the measures by which the project’s anticipated results will be monitored. You should update results on a routine basis and use the logframe for project monitoring. Logframes can also be used to generate “views” and organize data for digitized dashboards.