Whose Reality Counts? What it takes to navigate and measure community focused impact across diverse platforms of Measurement Evaluation and Learning for more effective solutions

In the current ecosystem, we have observed that there is an impending need to be more robust in our MEL practices and approaches by involving communities, particularly young people. With newer forms of engagement, it is critical to leverage their voice and participation and build championship by meeting them where they are, with respect to data driven programming that impacts them the most. Further, with the permeation of technology and AI solutions, there exist limited models that have been able to demonstrate the ability of keeping community voices at the fore, while also being scalable and tapping into trends, insights and behaviours of young people’s participation across diverse geographies, contexts & forums (digital and in person). In this fast-growing ecosystem, there is a need to unpack and identify pathways of engagement with communities across platforms- virtual, in person, to develop effective and sustainable metrics of measurement for evidence-based decision-making.

We propose to explore promising initiatives for addressing these gaps in the form of a roundtable discussion that will bring practitioners into this conversation. Through this roundtable, we hope for the participants to take back insights and recommendations on what it takes to design or adapt community-centered MEL approaches wherein they are involved in the process of solutioning for their own needs.