Measurement for Change: Reflections from innovators' experiences with monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems for Early Childhood Development

Abstract

In this review paper, we explore how on-the-ground Early Childhood Development (ECD) innovators are using monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems to guide the design and implementation of ECD programs, as well as how MEL systems can influence policy and support the achievement of impact at scale. We reflect on articles in the Frontiers series “Effective delivery of integrated interventions in early childhood: innovations in evidence use, monitoring, evaluation, and learning.” The 31 contributions to the series reflect the breadth and depth of complexity that characterizes ECD, including global geographic spread, with studies from Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Our synthesis finds that integrating MEL processes and systems into the fabric of a program or policy initiative can broaden the underlying value proposition. Specifically, ECD organizations sought to design their MEL systems to ensure programs fit the values, goals, experiences and conceptual frameworks of diverse stakeholders, so that participating makes sense to all. For example, formative, exploratory research identified the priorities and needs of the target population and frontline service providers, and informed the content and delivery of an intervention. ECD organizations also designed their MEL systems to support a shift of accountability toward broader ownership: They included delivery agents and program participants alike as subjects rather than objects, through active participation in data collection, and by providing opportunities for equitable discussion of results and decision-making. Programs collected data to respond to specialized characteristics, priorities and needs, embedding program activities into existing day-to-day routines. Further, papers pointed to the importance of intentionally involving a variety of stakeholders in national and international dialogues to ensure that diverse ECD data collection efforts are aligned and multiple perspectives are considered in the development of national ECD policies. And, several papers illustrate the value of creative methods and measurement tools to integrate MEL into a program or policy initiative. Finally, our synthesis concludes that these findings align with the five aspirations that were formulated as part of the Measurement for Change dialogue, which motivated the launch of the series.

Measuring for change/Mobile Creches

“…Since the inclusion through diversity in caste systems, religious practices, gender, and departmental systems was considered in the initial intervention cycle, it is proposed that the future cycle includes more members from the senior leadership team. The objective of this would be to enable systemic change and the aspiration of being inclusive to be met [( 11 ), p. 1]. This would also facilitate the systemic practice of socio-emotional skills across the organisation, heightening its impact and reach to the stakeholders outside of the organisation.…”

“…As seen in Figure 1 , MC consciously incorporated the Measurement for Change system (M4C). M4C is an integrated monitoring, evaluating, and learning system that evaluates and strengthens the capacity to make decisions for effective sustainability [( 11 , 12 ), p. 1]. The system advocates for the process to be dynamic, inclusive, informative, interactive, and people-centred.…”

Piloting, testing and scaling parental training: a multi-partnership approach in Côte d’Ivoire

“…The implementation at scale showed some concerns with low participation and knowledge transmission in the cascade model approach relying on volunteer trainers, but also some encouraging results on design features that could help offset participation constraints. As such, this paper contributes to the growing literature specifically discussing the contributions of MEL approaches to the global ECD agenda (16,17) and relates to other recent work documenting the importance of MEL for specific ECD interventions (18,19).…”