What You'll Find Here
- What should we learn first? (Learning Agenda & MEL Basics)
- How do we measure what matters? (Indicators, Baselines & Targets)
- How do we share and apply insights? (Knowledge Management & Communities)
For NGOs, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) can often feel overwhelming or out of reach. LEARN.NGO is dedicated to right-sized MEL solutions — approaches that fit your organization’s size and context — and effective knowledge-sharing tailored for nonprofits. We help you turn data into actionable learning without the jargon or complexity, empowering your team to make informed decisions for greater impact.
Our purpose is to demystify MEL and make organizational learning accessible to NGOs of all sizes. Too many nonprofits struggle with data overload or underutilized evaluations. At LEARN.NGO, we break down MEL concepts into practical steps, so you can focus on what matters most. By providing clear guidance and tools, we aim to build your confidence in using data to drive improvement and share knowledge across your organization and beyond.
Our Values
For us, success means enabling nonprofits to learn and adapt continually. We value practicality, ensuring that our advice and tools can be immediately applied in your day-to-day work. We promote a collaborative mindset — encouraging knowledge sharing within and between organizations. Ultimately, we believe that by embracing a learning culture grounded in real data and reflective practice, even the smallest NGO can amplify its impact.
Ready to get started? Explore our guides below to begin building a solid MEL foundation for your organization. Each guide offers practical tips, examples, and tools to help you measure what matters and foster a culture of learning. Join us in turning data into learning, and together let’s amplify your nonprofit’s impact.
GUIDES
This guide covers the fundamentals of developing a learning agenda and mastering the basics of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL). It explains how to identify key learning questions for your NGO and prioritize them to create a focused learning agenda. By clarifying what you need to learn, your organization can align its MEL efforts with its mission and make data-driven decisions. The guide also walks through MEL basics, breaking down essential concepts and terms into plain language. Whether you’re new to MEL or refining existing practices, this introduction will help ensure you have a solid foundation. It emphasizes a right-sized approach, so even organizations with limited resources can start small and build on success. It sets the stage for measuring what matters and continuously improving your programs.
This guide delves into the core of measuring what matters by helping you define indicators, baselines, and targets for your programs. It explains how to choose meaningful indicators that reflect your project’s objectives and how to collect baseline data to understand your starting point. With a clear baseline, you’ll be able to set realistic targets that motivate your team and satisfy stakeholders. The guide offers practical tips for developing indicators that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) and aligned with your theory of change. You’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls, like vanity metrics, and focus on data that informs decision-making. By the end, you’ll be equipped to measure progress and demonstrate impact effectively.
This guide explores how to turn insights into action through effective knowledge management and community-building. You’ll learn strategies for capturing lessons learned from your projects and sharing those insights across your organization. The guide covers how to set up simple knowledge management systems so important information doesn’t get lost. It suggests straightforward ways to document and retrieve information, ensuring knowledge isn’t stuck in silos and new team members can quickly get up to speed. It also highlights ways to foster a culture of learning where staff and stakeholders regularly exchange ideas, emphasizing the value of communities of practice — bringing together people with common goals to collaborate, solve problems, and innovate. By implementing these practices, your NGO can ensure that what you learn is not only stored, but actively used to improve programs and influence others in the sector.
Learning Agenda & MEL Basics
This guide covers the fundamentals of developing a learning agenda and mastering the basics of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL). It explains how to identify key learning questions for your NGO and prioritize them to create a focused learning agenda. By clarifying what you need to learn, your organization can align its MEL efforts with its mission and make data-driven decisions. The guide also walks through MEL basics, breaking down essential concepts and terms into plain language. Whether you’re new to MEL or refining existing practices, this introduction will help ensure you have a solid foundation. It emphasizes a right-sized approach, so even organizations with limited resources can start small and build on success. It sets the stage for measuring what matters and continuously improving your programs.
Indicators, Baselines & Targets
This guide delves into the core of measuring what matters by helping you define indicators, baselines, and targets for your programs. It explains how to choose meaningful indicators that reflect your project’s objectives and how to collect baseline data to understand your starting point. With a clear baseline, you’ll be able to set realistic targets that motivate your team and satisfy stakeholders. The guide offers practical tips for developing indicators that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) and aligned with your theory of change. You’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls, like vanity metrics, and focus on data that informs decision-making. By the end, you’ll be equipped to measure progress and demonstrate impact effectively.
Knowledge Management & Communities
This guide explores how to turn insights into action through effective knowledge management and community-building. You’ll learn strategies for capturing lessons learned from your projects and sharing those insights across your organization. The guide covers how to set up simple knowledge management systems so important information doesn’t get lost. It suggests straightforward ways to document and retrieve information, ensuring knowledge isn’t stuck in silos and new team members can quickly get up to speed. It also highlights ways to foster a culture of learning where staff and stakeholders regularly exchange ideas, emphasizing the value of communities of practice — bringing together people with common goals to collaborate, solve problems, and innovate. By implementing these practices, your NGO can ensure that what you learn is not only stored, but actively used to improve programs and influence others in the sector.
