Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity (MELA)
CLIENT: USAID
LOCATION: Middle East and North Africa
EXPERTISE: MEL
SERVICE: Collaborating Learning & Adapting, Communities of Practice, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Monitoring & Evaluation, Training
Rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) of USAID interventions are a major focus of Agency practices to improve performance management, accountability, and evidence-based decision making. The Agency has most recently focused on improving evidence-based decision making by incorporating Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) practices into MEL. By tying MEL to learning priorities, the Agency can rely on evidence to inform decision-making for management purposes, mid-course adjustments, and future program designs.
To this end, USAID/Jordan awarded MELA to The Kaizen Company (Kaizen) in February 2020 as a follow-on to the USAID/Jordan Monitoring and Evaluation Support Program (MESP). MELA is designed to ensure USAID’s activities in Jordan achieve their intended results through monitoring and evaluation, strategic assessments, and CLA. MELA helps USAID/Jordan create a dynamic learning environment among development actors focused on innovation, quality MEL practices, and knowledge sharing. Through the MELA Accelerator, a rapid procurement mechanism, a cohort of Jordanian firms work with the MELA team to successfully deliver projects while simultaneously strengthening their management and compliance systems. This approach provides USAID/Jordan with high-quality MEL services across its portfolio, builds the capacity of local MEL organizations, and ensures USAID programs meaningfully empower and enhance local participation. The MELA team ensures program sustainability by building the technical and institutional capacity of one or more local organizations to be capable of managing the MEL activity that follows MELA.