Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Toolkit

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) is how your chapter proves and improves its impact. It answers three questions.

Monitoring

Are we doing what we planned? (tracking activities and outputs)

Evaluation

Is it making a difference? (assessing outcomes and impact)

Learning

What can we do better? (using evidence to adapt and improve)

This toolkit is designed to be practical and proportionate, your MEL system should serve your chapter, not overwhelm it. Start simple and build complexity as your capacity grows.

A Theory of Change (ToC) is a visual and narrative explanation of how your chapter's activities lead to the outcomes and impact you want to achieve. It is the foundation of all good MEL work, you cannot measure what you have not articulated.

A Theory of Change describes the causal pathway from your activities to your ultimate impact, passing through outputs and outcomes. It makes explicit the assumptions you are making about why your approach will work.

1. 1
   1. Start with impact

   What is the ultimate change you want to see in the world? Be ambitious but honest.

2. 2
   2. Work backwards

   What long-term outcomes are needed to achieve that impact? What short-term outcomes lead to those long-term changes?

3. 3
   3. Define your activities

   What specific activities will produce those outcomes? Are there evidence-based approaches you can draw on?

4. 4
   4. State your assumptions

   What must be true for each step in the chain to hold? Where are the biggest uncertainties?

5. 5
   5. Map your context

   What external factors support or threaten your theory?

6. 6
   6. Visualise and write it up

   Create a simple diagram and a 1-2 page narrative. Share with members and advisors for feedback.

7. 7
   7. Review annually

   Update your ToC as you learn more about what works and what changes in your context.

Theory of Change template (fill in for your chapter) covers: ultimate impact we are working toward; long-term outcomes (3-5 years); short-term outcomes (1-2 years); our key activities; key assumptions; context (enabling factors); context (constraining factors / risks).

A Logical Framework (Logframe) is a structured planning and monitoring tool that translates your Theory of Change into a measurable project plan. It is required by most institutional funders and is a powerful management tool for your own team.

SSDP chapter logframe template: for each level (Goal/Impact, Purpose/Outcome, Output 1, Output 2, Output 3, Activities, Inputs) record a narrative summary, indicators of achievement, means of verification, and assumptions/risks.

Activities: list key activities under each output (Activity 1.1, 1.2 for Output 1; Activity 2.1, 2.2 for Output 2, etc.). Inputs: list required resources such as volunteer hours, grant funding in USD, campus space, printing budget, and partner support.

Indicators are specific, observable measures that tell you whether your project is on track. Good indicators are at the heart of credible MEL. This section provides a menu of indicators relevant to SSDP chapter work, and guidance on developing your own.

Specific

Describes exactly what will be measured (who, what, where)

Measurable

Can be counted or assessed with a verifiable method

Achievable

Realistic given your resources and capacity

Relevant

Directly connected to the output or outcome it measures

Time-bound

Specifies when the target should be achieved

1. 1
   1. State the indicator precisely

   What, who, when.

2. 2
   2. Set a baseline

   Current status before your activities begin.

3. 3
   3. Set a target

   What you aim to achieve by year end.

4. 4
   4. Identify the data source and collection method

5. 5
   5. Assign responsibility for data collection

   To a specific person.

6. 6
   6. Set the collection frequency

   Monthly, per event, quarterly, annual.

Data is only as good as how you collect it. This section provides practical tools for gathering the evidence your chapter needs to monitor, evaluate, and report on its work.

Pre/post knowledge survey template (peer education workshop): includes true/false/don't know knowledge questions on evidence-based drug policy, harm reduction, criminal penalties, naloxone, and youth participation, plus attitude questions on Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree scales, and post-workshop-only overall experience questions. Answer key: 1. False 2. False 3. True (context-dependent) 4. True 5. True.

Event attendance register template captures event name, date & venue, facilitator(s), and a numbered list of attendees with full name, institution/year, gender, optional phone/email, and signature, plus a summary line for total attendees by gender.

• Assign a MEL Focal Point, one person responsible for coordinating data collection, storage, and analysis
• Use a shared digital folder (Google Drive, OneDrive) for all data files; back up monthly
• Never store personal data (names, contacts) in the same file as sensitive survey responses
• Anonymise data before analysis and reporting where personal information is not needed
• Review collected data at every Executive Committee meeting, do not wait until report time
• Retain all data for a minimum of 5 years, or as required by funders

Outcome Harvesting is a powerful evaluation approach designed for advocacy, systems change, and social movement work, which is exactly what SSDP chapters do. Unlike logframes, which measure pre-defined indicators, Outcome Harvesting discovers and documents outcomes as they emerge, including unexpected changes you did not plan for.

Outcome Harvesting collects ("harvests") evidence of changes in the behaviour, relationships, actions, policies, or practices of key actors (organisations, individuals, institutions, communities) that your chapter has influenced or contributed to.

• Advocacy work where outcomes are hard to predict in advance
• Systems change work where causation is complex and diffuse
• Capturing unexpected or emergent outcomes that standard monitoring misses
• Learning about how change happens in your specific context

1. 1
   1. Collect

   At the end of each term or project phase, ask your team: "What significant changes have we observed in people, organisations, or systems that our work may have contributed to?" Collect all responses without judgment first.

2. 2
   2. Describe

   For each identified outcome, write a structured description using the Outcome Statement format.

3. 3
   3. Substantiate

   Gather evidence to verify that the change actually happened. This may include emails, meeting notes, news articles, stakeholder statements, or policy documents.

4. 4
   4. Value

   Assess the significance of each outcome, how meaningful is it for your mission, and how much did your chapter contribute vs. other factors.

5. 5
   5. Analyse and learn

   Look across all outcomes to identify patterns. Which activities led to the most significant changes? What does this tell you about your theory of change? What should you do more or less of?

6. 6
   6. Report

   Include outcome stories in your reports, publications, and presentations. They are your most compelling evidence of impact.

Outcome Statement template captures: harvest date; harvested by (person who identified the outcome); who changed (actor); what changed (specific behaviour, action, policy, relationship, or practice, be concrete, avoid vague language like "awareness increased"); when the change occurred; what SSDP did to contribute; evidence that the change happened; why the change is significant; a significance rating (Transformative, Significant, Moderate, Minor); and what your chapter learned from the outcome.