Graduate students from Wageningen University & Research have researched and reviewed global applications of MELs to assist the NWP in creating a systemic framework to assess their projects.
A key component of the NWP’s work is to assist Parties in identifying and addressing relevant adaptation knowledge gaps to improve the understanding of climate change impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to better formulate evidence-based policy responses. To complement and improve the ongoing initiatives, such as the
Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative, the NWP is endeavoring to develop a methodology to systematically measure the outcomes and progress of its work.
A team of graduate students from
Wageningen University & Research was commissioned in March 2022 under the
UN Climate Change and Universities Partnership Programme to research and review global projects and applications of MEL Frameworks. The WUR team, comprised of Masters’ students Laura Mackenzie, Manuela Garcia Gutierrez, Nina Zibetti, Prabhath Meegemage, Pratik Gupta, and their supervisor, Ph.D. candidate Wout Sommerauer, worked in collaboration with the NWP team to compose this report.
The key objective of the research was to identify monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) approaches, frameworks, and tools to systematically measure the impact of NWP knowledge products on the implementation and scaling up of adaptation action over time.
The methodical development involved four sequential steps:
- Literature review;
- Stakeholder engagement: soliciting Inputs from experts and knowledge users;
- Comparative assessment of the identified MEL approaches; and
- Providing recommendations.
Key findings
Some commonly identified features underscore the use, function, and importance of MEL frameworks, including integration of information across sectors, geographical scales, and through time; community learning and capacity development; supporting governments in planning and decision-making processes; and identifying investment priorities at different levels. Overall, across scales and contexts, MEL systems are characterized by
- the definition of the context of the MEL system;
- the identification of the content (i.e., adaptation intervention) to be monitored;
- the design of the operationalization process; and
- the establishment of strategies to communicate the results, in line with the purpose of the MEL system.
More information
Picture showing from left to right: Manuela Garcia Gutierrez, Pratik Gupta, Nina Zibetti, Laura Mackenzie, Prabhath Meegemage.