M&E Guides
Learn the method, make a choice, or find the right M&E resource for proposal work. Practical guidance without requiring AI.
Proposal work: where are you?
Start with the stage of the proposal, then use the resources that address the decision in front of you.
Proposal prompts
Open a proposal-tagged prompt in the canonical library.
Browse all 22 proposal prompts
- Create a Theory of Change
- Create a Logframe
- Create a MEL Plan
- Create an Indicator Reference Sheet
- Create a Learning Agenda
- Create an M&E Budget
- Create a Results Framework
- Draft Evaluation Terms of Reference
- Draft an M&E Section for a Proposal
- Review My Proposal M&E Section
- Extract Donor M&E Requirements from an RFP
- M&E Go/No-Go Assessment
- Competitive M&E Analysis for a Proposal
- Design an M&E Capture Plan for a Proposal
- Draft an M&E Staffing Plan
- Draft an M&E Budget Narrative
- Draft a Data Collection Plan
- Draft a Theory of Change from a Program Narrative
- Generate a Logframe from an Existing Theory of Change
- Build a 48-Hour Proposal M&E Workflow
- Red-Team a Draft Proposal M&E Section
- Review M&E Budget Adequacy
Reviewer checks and terms
The section-writing guide covers structure, indicator selection, baselines, disaggregation, budget feasibility, and alignment with the technical approach.
Read the full M&E section guideBrowse M&E Guidance
Method guides explain how to do the work. Decision guides help you choose an approach.
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
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
How to Write a Logframe: Step-by-Step Guide with Template
A logframe is not a filing form. It is the logic of your program written down so indicators, assumptions, and evidence can be tested against it. Here is how to write one: the four-by-four matrix, the right order to fill it, and the common mistakes that make most logframes unusable.
Decision guide · how-to-choose
How to Write the M&E Section of a Proposal: The Seven Components
A step-by-step guide to writing the M&E, MEL, or MEAL section of a program proposal. What to include, how to structure it, and the mistakes that get proposals rejected.
Decision guide · how-to-choose
Output vs Outcome vs Impact: The Key Difference
The most common confusion in M&E. Learn the difference between outputs, outcomes, and impact with clear examples from health, education, and food security programs.
Decision guide · comparison
Writing a Logframe for a Proposal with AI: The Workflow
AI can draft a defensible logframe in an hour if you feed it the right context. Here is the five-step workflow, what to hand the AI, and the review steps you cannot skip. Assumes you already have a theory of change; if not, start there.
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