Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Hello, AEA365 community! Liz DiLuzio here, Lead Curator of the blog. This week is Individuals Week, which means we take a break from our themed weeks and spotlight the Hot Tips, Cool Tricks, Rad Resources and Lessons Learned from any evaluator interested in sharing. Would you like to contribute to future individuals weeks? Email me at AEA365@eval.org with an idea or a draft and we will make it happen.
Hello! My name is Fasika Mekonen. I work at the intersection of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and systemic team coaching, supporting organizations to strengthen performance and impact.
In several development programs I have worked with, M&E systems were already in place, indicators were defined, reports were produced and data was regularly collected. Yet performance challenges persisted.
In my experience, the issue is not the absence of systems, but how teams engage with them. M&E systems are often treated as technical tools, while the relational dynamics that drive their use including alignment, clarity and shared understanding, are overlooked.
When teams are not aligned on purpose, priorities and decision-making, M&E systems tend to produce data without improving performance.
What made a difference in my work was shifting focus from strengthening systems alone to activating them through team practices:
These practices helped reposition M&E from a reporting function to a shared space for learning and action.
In many cases, M&E systems were technically sound, but teams were not aligned on their purpose or how to use them. Without shared understanding and ownership, systems produced data but did not influence decisions or improve results.
Programs that created space for teams to regularly reflect on data, through structured discussions and learning sessions, were more likely to adapt and improve.
Where data was only reported, it rarely translated into meaningful change.
When teams lacked clarity on priorities, roles and expected outcomes, M&E systems became compliance tools rather than performance tools. Aligning these elements helped teams use data more effectively and strengthened accountability across stakeholders.
If you are working with M&E systems in complex programs:
M&E systems are effective when they are well designed, but they become most effective when actively used by teams as shared spaces for reflection, learning, and accountability. When co-created and embedded in practice, they help align strategy, guide decisions, and improve performance—enabling programs to achieve more with limited resources.
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