Activity Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (AMEP) for MERIT: The Malawi Early Grade Reading Improvement Activity

The activity aims to improve reading instruction in the primary grades and increase parental and community engagement in supporting student reading. MERIT is committed to close collaboration with the Government of Malawi (GOM) in supporting implementation of the National Reading Program (NRP) and strengthening GOM structures, capacities, and functions, including monitoring, evaluation, and learning (ME&L) capacities and functions. MERIT's objectives are to improve instruction for primary grade reading outcomes, increase parental and community engagement in supporting student reading, create safer learning environments for reading, institute pathways for sustainability, and advance CDCS priorities for integration. The activity will achieve these objectives through principal interventions, including technical assistance and resources to the GOM, strengthening of GOM structures, capacities, and functions, and coordination with external evaluations. The Activity Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (AMEP) presents the objectives, approaches, and results indicators of MERIT in monitoring and evaluating implementation and results achievements of the NRP. The AMEP is central to the adaptive, timely, and quality management of Activity implementation for the achievement of explicit MERIT targets and effective monitoring support to the NRP. MERIT will coordinate with external evaluations to be conducted independently by a third-party USAID implementer. The AMEP is organized into six sections: Introduction, Activity Summary, Priorities and Overall Strategy of MERIT ME&L, Management of ME&L, Data Flows and Data Quality Assurance, and Performance Indicators and Targets. The AMEP highlights the priority monitoring and assessment activities, general strategy and approach of MERIT's ME&L, timely process of progress review and reinvestment of Activity learning into implementation for enhanced objectives achievement, and identifies key components and processes of the ME&L function. MERIT's approach to ME&L involves close collaboration with GOM counterparts, including the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), and the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to support data collection and analysis. The activity will also use conference papers and journal articles to disseminate results and promote learning. MERIT's ME&L team will work closely with GOM counterparts to ensure that data collection tools and instruments are aligned with GOM needs and priorities. The AMEP presents a detailed description of each performance indicator and how the program will monitor the indicator, the data required, and the manner in which the data will be collected, including a data quality assessment checklist. The AMEP also lists the MERIT performance indicators and targets, including indicators related to reading performance, parental and community engagement, and GOM capacity strengthening. Overall, the AMEP provides a comprehensive framework for monitoring and evaluating MERIT's implementation and results achievements, and will support the activity's efforts to achieve its objectives and promote improved reading outcomes in Malawi.