MONITORING, EVALUATION,

ACCOUNTABILITY AND
LEARNING POLICY

– FOR THE INTERNATIONAL WORK

OF NORWEGIAN PEOPLE’S AID
 NPA MEAL Officer during a beneficiary satisfaction
survey for protection project, Iraq.
Photo: Norwegian People’s Aid

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CONTENTS
1. Policy Statement 5

2. Purpose 5

3. Objectives 5

4. Components 6
4.1 Monitoring 6
4.2 Evaluation 6
4.3 Accountability 6
4.4 Learning (and sharing) 6

5. Principles: 9
5.1 Governance 9
5.2 Transparency 9
5.3 Quality 9
5.4 Utility 9
5.5 Ethics 9
5.6 Continual improvement 9
5.7 Confidentiality 9

6. Resources 10

Copyright 2021 by Norwegian People’s Aid

Cover photo: Norwegian People’s Aid
Back page: Werner Anderson
Design: Oktan Oslo

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1 3
POLICY STATEMENT OBJECTIVES
NPA shall commit to a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability 1. The policy shall commit NPA to Monitoring, Evaluation,
and Learning architecture which serves to ensure adherence Accountability and Learning, as key components of a Results-
to NPA values of unity, solidarity, human worth and rights for Based Management System.
all (irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation,
disability and social status), promote wider learning and 2. MEAL activities shall contribute to the promotion of NPA’s
improve performance. values and policies

3. MEAL activities shall focus on the analysis of coherence,

relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and impact of NPA
interventions and the sustainability of its results.

2 4. NPA shall continuously improve based on quality

know-ledge development, the sharing of good practice
and challenges, and incorporate lessons learned into NPA
decision-making and interventions.

PURPOSE
The purpose of the NPA MEAL approach is to promote strategic
and systematic application of knowledge, lessons learned
and good practice into our work to enhance participation,
accountability to the population we support and transparency
of decision making, and to promote organisational learning and
the continual improvement of interventions, in support of NPA
values, policies and strategies. The MEAL approach is valid for
all of NPA’s international programmes, including programme
partners with contractual obligations.

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Non-Technical Survey in Myanmar by NPA Cambodia staff led team.
Photo: Norwegian People’s Aid

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4
COMPONENTS
Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning are in 4.3 ACCOUNTABILITY
synergy, and must be implemented concurrently in order Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) is committed to being
to achieve the objectives of this policy. In practice, all accountable towards rights-holders, partners, institutional
programmes’ MEAL systems form part of a participatory and private donors supporting our work and the wider
and inclusive approach across the programme cycle. The public. NPA’s most important stakeholders are the population
components should be planned and implemented together we seek to support, as captured in NPA’s principle of
with partners and the population we support. These are: Solidarity in Action and we are committed to ensuring
that accountability to these stakeholders underpins all of
our programming. MEAL systems shall, at a minimum,
4.1 MONITORING include feedback mechanisms to capture the opinions of the
Monitoring is a term used for all types of progress tracking. supported populations, partners and relevant stakeholders
However, this policy focuses on monitoring programme on our interventions and a system to inform the same about
results in the form of deliveries (outputs) and the effects of results of the programmes to enable adaptation and continual
the deliveries (outcomes and impact). NPA HO departments improvement.
and all programmes have responsibility for and must plan
and implement monitoring activities to track progress on
the deliveries and effect of implemented interventions, with 4.4 LEARNING (AND SHARING)
emphasis on the latter. The plan shall clearly define NPA Continuous improvement requires room for reflection and
and partners’ roles in these activities. sharing of knowledge. Learning activities shall be planned
and implemented in all programmes, including following
up learning outcomes. Learning is highlighted as a separate
4.2 EVALUATION activity together with adaptation (of the programme).
Evaluation is a tool to examine the quality of performance Adaptation means to adjust the programme to make it
and deliveries by identifying and reflecting on results relevant in the given context.
achieved and lessons learned. NPA HO departments and all
country programmes shall plan and implement evaluations,
either internal or external, at least once during the course of
the programme period. The size and scope of the programme
shall determine the scope of the evaluation and one may use
one evaluation for several programmes.

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 NPA reinforces complaint and feedback mechanism
during UN-FOA’s Main Season Response, South Sudan.
Photo: Norwegian People’s Aid

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Years of mine clearance experience in NPA continuously improve methods
and training. Here, training on clearance of improvised mines in Iraq.
Photo: Norwegian People’s Aid

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5
PRINCIPLES
All MEAL activities shall follow certain principles, based on shall be representative and must reflect the reality of the
NPA’s values and sound MEAL architecture. These are: different groups of stakeholders we are analysing to the
greatest extent possible. In this regard, MEAL activities
5.1 GOVERNANCE should follow the UN principles of leaving no one behind. It is
The MEAL architecture requires sound governance by NPA also vital to include objective methods of data collection and
senior management in order to ensure sufficient integrity analysis, such as external evaluations, feedback mechanisms,
and objectivity. DHC and DMAD management teams have designated MEAL staff, and stakeholder analyses.
a key role in terms of establishing the MEAL framework,
maintaining oversight and follow-up. Governance also means 5.4 UTILITY
that NPA staff and relevant stakeholders participate and take MEAL activities should be focused on the ‘user’ of the
ownership of the quality of MEAL activities and that roles information, such as NPA staff, supported populations,
and mandates in MEAL activities are clearly defined and are partners, donors, and institutions, and be easily understood
articulated in annual plans. by all relevant stakeholders.

5.2 TRANSPARENCY 5.5 ETHICS

Subject to any legal obligations and/or the need to protect The underlying principle of ‘do-no-harm’ applies to all MEAL
confidentiality, NPA should strive to be as transparent as activities. One shall, for instance, make sure that MEAL
possible to ensure accountability – internally and externally. activities are not a risk to partners nor the population we
NPA commits to sharing result information to the groups we support.
are accountable to, the related publication of evaluations and
using public channels for other result information. 5.6 CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
The MEAL architecture should reinforce an organisational
5.3 QUALITY culture of continual improvement, by establishing processes
In order to maintain confidence in the MEAL architecture, to inform a culture of internal reflection, learning and
high standards of quality are required. NPA’s methods for adaptive response.
data collection and analysis shall be known to the NPA
programme staff and possible to track internally in NPA. 5.7 CONFIDENTIALITY
The methods shall be appropriate for the purpose and to the ll stakeholders that have taken part in NPA’s MEAL activities
greatest degree possible be based on developed and tested shall be secure that the data is not traceable to the individual,
methods. To minimise bias, the MEAL data and analysis and that data is stored safely.

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RESOURCES
In order to implement the policy, NPA commits to:

- Develop planned monitoring, evaluation, accountability and

learning activities and systems in all operationalisation of
strategies and policies, including delineation of roles within
MEAL systems and activities;

- Develop tools and guidelines to enable staff to implement

MEAL activities and improve their ability to implement them;

- All country or regional offices must allocate sufficient resources

for dedicated staff to plan and implement MEAL systems and
activities, in collaboration with programme staff and partners if
any, in line with the NPA MEAL policy.

- MEAL activities must be an integral part of all staff, from

monitoring staff to management positions’ job descriptions.

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Visiting NPA partner activities
in Bolivia. Farmers and indigenous
people mobilise.
Photo: Norwegian People’s Aid

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 Norwegian People’s Aid
P.O Box 8844 Youngstorget
NO-0028 Oslo
Phone: +47 22 03 77 00

www.npaid.org

This document was approved December 2020