Flagship course · MEL and data
The Evidence Question: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning for Practice
Design evidence systems that serve accountability and learning, from a theory of change to adaptive management.
Start module 1What you will be able to do
- Build a theory of change and an indicator system for your programme.
- Choose among methods from RCTs to contribution analysis and Most Significant Change, and know when each fits.
- Collect quality data and analyse results that drive real decisions.
About this course
Building Evidence Systems for Development Impact
A course on MEL systems for development professionals. From theory of change to adaptive management, learn to design evidence systems that drive real impact, with rigorous academic foundations and South Asian case studies.
- 40+ Academic Papers
- South Asia Focus
- Practitioner-Focused
Excel LexiconWhy study MEL?
Development programmes collectively spend billions of dollars annually, yet many lack sound evidence of what works. MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning) is the discipline of building evidence systems that drive accountability and adaptive improvement.
MEL in development differs from academic research in important ways: it must balance rigour with practicality, serve both accountability and learning purposes, and operate within complex institutional environments where power dynamics shape what gets measured and how. For a deeper look at evaluation frameworks, see our guide on Theory of Change vs. Logframes.
Evidence-based practice
Move beyond anecdotes to systematic evidence. Learn to design indicator systems, collect quality data, and analyse results that drive real decisions.
Methodological range
Master the full spectrum: from RCTs to contribution analysis, from household surveys to Most Significant Change. Know when to use which approach.
South Asian context
Deep focus on India, Bangladesh and the wider region, with case studies from MGNREGA, Pratham, BRAC and J-PAL South Asia that show MEL in action.
"What gets measured gets managed (but what gets measured is often what's easy to measure, not what matters most)." Adapted from a common evaluation aphorism (cf. Carol Weiss); often wrongly attributed to Peter Drucker
Assess yourself: MEL fundamentals
Six auto-graded questions spanning the course: theory of change, indicators, baselines, attribution, data quality, and evaluation criteria. Pick an answer and check it; each explains the reasoning. Nothing is stored and there's no sign-in.
Practise the material & continue learning
Every flagship course is part of a wider open-source learning network. The cards below cross-link this course with hands-on labs, AI study companions, the 101 Series, book summaries, reference handouts, live dojos, and Pro Studio tools.
- TOC Lab
- MEL Lab
- Adaptive Experiments Lab: rapid experiments for adaptive management
Ask the deck questions, get topic summaries, and generate study aids at your own pace.
Free 100-slide foundational primers that pair well with this flagship:
171 interactive reading companions covering development economics, public policy and related fields, with key concepts and field application notes:
84 print-optimised handouts across 10 tracks: methods, ethics, frameworks, lexicons, quick-reference cards.
56 bi-weekly dojo sessions in the South Asian dev-practitioner cohort: case clinics, paper discussions, live Q&A.
11 Pro Studio tools plus 1:1 coaching, cohort access, and certificates. Sliding-scale pricing.