Q&A With the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Team

From left: Maya Sterling, Dr. Elizabeth Fox, Mia Kazman, Hector Pacheco.

What is MEL and what purpose does it serve?

MEL stands for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning. It describes the process through which we track progress, assess the effectiveness of interventions, and analyze results to improve approaches and achieve desired outcomes. MEL is part of a vital feedback loop that helps us validate the success of our programs, learn about failures, and improve our future projects.

How do we monitor, evaluate, and learn from PADF’s work?

At PADF, MEL is an integral part of our work. We track a series of indicators for each project, ensuring that we are on track to achieve the desired results. We also measure indicators that cut across all our projects that help us track our overall impact. With this information, we are able to identify areas where we are making progress and prioritize areas where we need to advance.

What is PADF’s MEL team?

The MEL Team is a group of PADF staff who lead organizational MEL efforts. Chief Technical Leadership Officer Elizabeth Fox leads the team along with Hemispheric Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Lead Hector Pacheco. Dr. Fox and Hector are supported by Program Coordinator Mia Kazman, Program Associate Maya Sterling, as well as the combined knowledge and expertise of PADF’s MEL staff across the hemisphere.

What is your favorite part of being on the MEL Team?

Hector: I enjoy working with PADF teams to identify learning opportunities across our projects. Through PADF’s institutional learning agenda, we are working to share information on tools, innovations, and methodologies that can be replicated across the region to improve our work.

Mia: With the development of PADF’s new Strategic Plan, the MEL team has worked with the goal areas and across projects to identify a series of collective indicators that reflect our work. It has been a joy to work with the teams to develop, refine, and roll out these indicators. I am looking forward to seeing the fruits of our labors in PADF’s next annual report!

Maya: I am passionate about finding effective solutions to climate change. By working with the MEL team, every quarter I get to measure the progress PADF is making to expand our climate change adaptation and mitigation programming.

Dr. Fox: I have enjoyed seeing PADF and the MEL Team’s openness to innovation and change. After a long career working in this sector, it is refreshing to see my team’s excitement every day when they find new ways to improve PADF’s approaches to MEL.

Published on February 28, 2022.