{"id":1191,"date":"2025-08-07T06:25:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T06:25:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/?page_id=1191"},"modified":"2025-08-12T05:37:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T05:37:46","slug":"report","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/report\/","title":{"rendered":"Report"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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How India\u2019s Civil Society is Reimagining Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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India\u2019s civil society is quietly reshaping how MEL is done\u2014moving beyond templates toward approaches grounded in purpose, context, and community.<\/p>

We spoke to 175+ organizations to understand how MEL is being reworked to support real-time decisions, reflect lived realities, and drive meaningful change on the ground.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Key Findings<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Data is being collected\u2014but not fully used<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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73%<\/strong><\/span> of MEL data is used primarily for donor reporting.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Only\u00a018%<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0supports internal decision-making.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Just\u00a06%<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0is used for communication or community engagement.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chronic capacity and resourcing gaps<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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59%<\/strong><\/span> of CSOs spend less than 5% of program budgets on MEL.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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42.5%<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0rely on program staff (not dedicated MEL teams) for evaluation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Among smaller, community-based CSOs, 39%<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0report MEL teams of just 1\u20132 members.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Key Findings<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Digital adoption is rising, but remains shallow<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Excel, Google Forms, and WhatsApp dominate;\u00a068%<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0rely on these tools.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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10.3%<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0use emerging AI tools like ChatGPT, while another\u00a010.3%<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0still work entirely manually.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Community engagement is often one-way; genuine co-creation is rare.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Grassroots ingenuity is bridging the gaps<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Peer learning networks, leadership-led experimentation, and feedback<\/b>\u00a0loops grounded in storytelling are becoming vital MEL lifelines.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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CSOs are reworking donor formats into functional tools.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Data is being repurposed for real-time field decisions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Gaps Identified<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Learning is undervalued.<\/strong>
MEL remains skewed toward monitoring and evaluation; learning, key to adaptation, is structurally sidelined.<\/p>

Participation is limited and extractive.<\/strong>
While\u00a081.8%<\/strong>\u00a0of CSOs share findings with communities, few enable them to interpret or act on this data.<\/p>

Digitization risks deepening exclusion.<\/strong>
Barriers of literacy, language, and access are marginalizing frontline staff and vulnerable groups.<\/p>

Evaluation still centers outputs, not outcomes.<\/strong>
Nuanced outcomes\u2014like shifts in gender equity\u2014are often missed by conventional metrics.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Promising Shifts<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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From reporting to reflection<\/strong>
Quarterly pause-and-reflect sessions are helping CSOs embed learning into program strategy.<\/p>

From paper to peer-led systems<\/strong>
Community-generated indicators, local audits, and informal peer networks are decentralizing MEL in meaningful ways.<\/p>

From hierarchy to mentorship<\/strong>
Young professionals are driving tech adoption, while emerging leaders are being mentored into MEL roles, building long-term capacity.<\/p>

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Recommendations & Way Forward<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Design for learning, not just measurement<\/strong>
Shift from fixed indicators to adaptive systems that respond to on-the-ground realities.<\/p>

Invest in capacity, not just compliance<\/strong>
Equip teams with analytical skills, provide multilingual tools, and support learning agendas led by grassroots actors.<\/p>

Recognize peer networks as MEL infrastructure<\/strong>
Support informal exchanges as legitimate spaces for knowledge creation and innovation.<\/p>

Build shared tools for inclusive insight<\/strong>
Enable cross-regional knowledge sharing through locally governed data platforms.<\/p>

Reclaim dignity: Decolonize MEL<\/strong>
Ensure communities co-own their data\u2014shaping what gets measured, why, and how it\u2019s used.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Bottom Line<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Civil society in India is ready to lead MEL from the inside out. What they need is patient capital, strategic flexibility, and a shift in mindset\u2014from compliance to curiosity, from extractive evaluation to co-created insight.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cMEL is not about reporting what worked. It\u2019s about learning why it did.\u201d
\u2014 CSO Leader<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Credits:<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Creative Direction:<\/strong> Anubrata Basu<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Technical Design:<\/strong> Tarun Pathak<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Development:<\/strong> Abhishek Kumar<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hindi How India\u2019s Civil Society is Reimagining Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) India\u2019s civil society is quietly reshaping how MEL is done\u2014moving beyond templates toward approaches grounded in purpose, context, and community. We spoke to 175+ organizations to understand how MEL is being reworked to support real-time decisions, reflect lived realities, and drive meaningful change […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_canvas","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1191","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1191"}],"version-history":[{"count":94,"href":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1524,"href":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1191\/revisions\/1524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sambodhi.co.in\/Measuring-What-Matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}