What is MEAL?
MEAL stands for Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning. It is a way of running programs and projects so they deliver better, more lasting results. Pulseform is built around it.
MEAL is not just about writing reports. It means collecting and using data to follow your activities, measure results, respond to the people you serve, and make better decisions next time.
Why it matters
A MEAL system helps your organization make sure that:
- projects follow the approved plan,
- resources are used well,
- expected results are actually achieved,
- problems and unexpected effects are spotted early, while there is still time to adjust.
The four parts
MEAL has four parts that work together all the time.
Monitoring
Collecting and reviewing data regularly to check that the project is going as planned. You compare activities, resources and results against your indicators and targets. Monitoring helps you:
- measure progress on activities,
- check that outputs and interim results are achieved,
- spot delays and problems in time,
- give managers the information they need to correct course.
Evaluation
Looking back at how well the project performed and whether it reached its goals, and understanding why. An evaluation usually asks:
- Did the project fit the real needs of the people it targets?
- Were resources used efficiently?
- Were the activities effective?
- What results and impact did it have?
- What can be done better next time?
Accountability
Listening to the people you serve, keeping them informed, and responding to their feedback and complaints safely, openly and on time. This includes:
- involving them in designing, running and evaluating the project,
- giving them clear and easy ways to send feedback and complaints,
- keeping their information and identity private,
- acting on what they tell you, and telling them what you did.
Learning
Using what monitoring, evaluation and accountability show you to improve. This includes:
- recording what worked, what didn't, and good practices,
- holding regular review sessions,
- sharing knowledge between teams,
- updating plans based on evidence.
The questions MEAL answers
Throughout a project, MEAL helps you answer:
- Is the project on plan and on schedule?
- Are resources used efficiently and transparently?
- Are we achieving the outputs and results we aimed for?
- Does the project meet people's real needs?
- Do the people we serve feel safe, respected and able to speak up?
- What problems or unexpected effects have appeared?
- What have we learned that will improve the next project?
MEAL in Pulseform
Each part of MEAL has a home in Pulseform:
| MEAL part | Where you'll find it |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | Projects and activities, indicators, monitoring plans, data collections, surveys and forms |
| Evaluation | Survey results and analysis, disaggregation analytics, donor reports |
| Accountability | Complaints & Feedback, and your surveys and public forms |
| Learning | The monitoring dashboard and donor reports, reviewed with your team |
Tip New to Pulseform? Start by creating a survey to collect your first data.