About Us
Monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning can be intimidating. We see it as a way to strategically share knowledge, improve programming, and tell effective stories.
In our complex world filled with gray area, changemakers need to be able to identify what works to produce better outcomes for people’s lives. As a field, sharing that knowledge and spreading the word helps us to implement increasingly effective and higher-quality programming. Monitoring and evaluation is a toolbox that allows us to do just that.
What is monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL)?
Monitoring keeps a close watch on the day-to-day activities of your program, and helps you identify challenges early, like if certain groups are not participating or if specific activities aren't resonating as expected. Evaluation on the other hand, steps back to assess the bigger picture to determine whether your program is achieving meaningful changes, or if adjustments are necessary. For example, evaluation would answer the questions: Are marginalized groups gaining more decision-making power? Are harmful stereotypes being changed?
Research and Learning complement M&E by fostering a culture of continuous improvement within your program through a mutual feedback loop with both participants and stakeholders in your program, improvement of the quality and effectiveness of DEI programming generally by information-sharing with a wider audience. These feedback loops allow you to understand what's working well for you, what has worked well for others, and where you can improve. Research provides a strong foundation by guiding your initial program design, and learning helps you refine and enhance your strategies as you gather real-world experience. This cycle helps you stay responsive to the changing needs of the community and keeps your program aligned with its overarching goals of gender equality and women's empowerment. Research and learning involve staying open to new ideas and adapting your strategies based on the insights you gain from others.
Why is monitoring and evaluation important?
Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) form the cornerstones of effective gender programming. MERL empowers programs to evolve beyond intention, driving meaningful, adaptable, and enduring transformations in individuals' lives and communities.
MERL helps your programming, and the field of gender programming as a whole, to become higher-quality and more effective. MERL promotes evidence-based decision-making by equipping organizations and policymakers with data-driven insights, which are used to inform effective program/policy design and strategy. Through a culture of continuous learning and adaptation, programs remain relevant and impactful in changing scenarios. Additionally, MERL fosters quality enhancement. Early issue detection through monitoring, and program refinement through evaluation and research, lead to improved outcomes for your audience.
Additionally, MERL helps your organization function more efficiently and transparently. Stakeholder engagement, transparency, and communication are intrinsic to MERL, enhancing program effectiveness, fostering community ownership, and building credibility. MERL establishes accountability, providing a systematic framework to gauge program efficacy, responsibility, and the fulfillment of program commitments. Through these mechanisms, organizations can optimize resource use by pinpointing the most effective activities and aligning resources accordingly. MERL's evidence supports program replication and scale-up, and helps attract investment from funders and policymakers.
Meet our founder.
Marissa Watkins (MPH, LLM) is a public health professional and human rights lawyer with extensive experience designing and implementing interdisciplinary interventions that advance gender equality.
Passionate about fostering lasting change and equitable outcomes for all, Marissa’s career has become increasingly focused on enhancing quality in the field of gender programming and development. Working at the intersection of human rights law and public health programming, Marissa realized the need to improve quality and accessibility of MERL, increase the capacity of organizations to communicate their methods and results broadly, and build MERL capacity within organizations.
Through GEIS, Marissa’s aim is to make monitoring and evaluation accessible and exciting, while continuing to promote best-practice development in the field.
Marissa has lived and worked across the United States, the Netherlands, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Scotland.