M&E Guides
Learn the method, make a choice, or find the right M&E resource for proposal work. Practical guidance without requiring AI.
Browse M&E Guidance
Method guides explain how to do the work. Decision guides help you choose an approach.
How to Design an Evaluation
Choose an evaluation purpose, design type, methodology, and sampling approach. Includes a TOR checklist and downloadable templates.
Method guide · Evaluation
How to Build a MEL Plan
A step-by-step workflow from learning questions to a results framework, indicator plan, and data collection schedule.
Method guide · Planning
How to Collect M&E Data
Choose between household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. Includes instrument templates.
Method guide · Data
How to Ensure Data Quality
A data quality assurance guide covering the five quality dimensions, indicator quality, and a practical DQA process.
Method guide · Data Quality
How to Analyze M&E Data
Turn M&E data into program decisions: assess quality, clean the dataset, build a learning agenda, and run decision sprints.
Method guide · Analysis
Baseline vs Endline vs Midline Surveys Explained
When you need baseline, midline, and endline surveys, what they collect, and what to do when you missed your baseline.
Decision guide · comparison
Common Sampling Mistakes in M&E
The eight sampling mistakes that undermine M&E data quality: wrong frames, ignored design effect, field substitution errors, and analysis overclaims.
Decision guide · how-to-choose
Custom vs Standard Indicators: Which to Use and When
Most M&E systems need both. Standard indicators satisfy donor compliance and comparability; custom indicators capture what is specific to your program. Here is how to mix them without doubling the reporting load.
Decision guide · how-to-choose
Design Effect Explained: What It Is and How to Apply It
Design effect (DEFF) is the correction that keeps cluster sample sizes honest. Here is what it is, the typical values in M&E, and how to apply it before fieldwork.
Decision guide · how-to-choose
Evaluation Ethics Checklist: What to Cover Before Fieldwork
Informed consent, confidentiality, risk minimization, ethics approval, and the specific protocols every evaluation needs before a single interview is conducted.
Decision guide · how-to-choose
How Much Should You Budget for M&E?
The 5-10% rule explained, evaluation cost ranges by type, budget breakdown templates, and how to negotiate when the M&E budget is too small for what the donor is asking.
Decision guide · how-to-choose
Stuck on a Choice?
Decision Guides cover the trade-offs M&E teams hit most often: logframe vs theory of change, output vs outcome vs impact, and dozens more.
Browse Decision GuidesLooking for the AI Angle?
For step-by-step AI workflows on the same topics, head to AI for M&E.
Browse AI for M&E Guides