Rapid Feedback Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning: FY21 Quarter 3 Report

The program addresses the lack of systematic testing and availability of timely evidence to inform ongoing activity refinement and improvement. Rapid Feedback MERL embeds rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) approaches into activity design and implementation. A Consortium of four organizations—Results for Development Institute (R4D), Mathematica, Abt Associates, and the Pulte Institute for Global Development at the University of Notre Dame—is designing and testing the implementation of the Rapid Feedback MERL approach. The approach was developed as part of the Lab's initiative to co-create and co-design development solutions that innovate on traditional MERL approaches. During the third quarter of Year 6, the Consortium implemented several activities. Activity 1, Consortium management, involved coordination with USAID, with R4D serving as a liaison between the Consortium and the Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning's Office of Learning, Evaluation and Research (PPL/LER). The PPL/LER team and R4D held bi-weekly calls and worked closely on pilot generation and development, pulling in relevant Consortium members as needed. Activity 2, Rapid Feedback MERL framework development and pilot selection, involved pilot selection. The Consortium continued to hold conversations with USAID/Mali and the USAID Office of Health Systems (OHS) on the scope of work, budget, and a Joint Partnership Plan (JPP). Early in the next quarter, the Consortium expects to agree on a final JPP and start-up the new pilot. Activity 3, Pilot implementation, involved the implementation of two pilots: Lecture Pour Tous (Senegal) and TIGER-OR (Ethiopia). Lecture Pour Tous is a USAID initiative focused on coaching and continuous teacher professional development (CPD). The Consortium finalized three data collection tools in consultation with LPT and USAID Senegal and organized two major training sessions for the two data collection teams. The Consortium also cleaned, organized, and began to analyze the various data. TIGER-OR is a USAID initiative to generate evidence on the improved and deliberate linkage and integration of Government of Ethiopia (GOE) programs to increase the resilience of vulnerable populations in the Ethiopian highlands. The Consortium worked with USAID Ethiopia to develop a Scope of Work (SOW) and budget for formative research activities that will take place from May 2021 to November 2021. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the original TIGER-OR pilot design had to be put on hold, so the Consortium and USAID/Ethiopia developed these formative research activities to be completed in the interim. The Consortium also implemented the Health Services Delivery (Guinea) pilot, which focuses on understanding how well training for community health workers has equipped them with the knowledge and skills to serve their communities, even during health crises such as COVID-19. The Consortium worked with USAID Guinea to develop a Scope of Work (SOW) and budget for formative research activities that will take place from May 2021 to November 2021. The Consortium will complete data analysis and begin writing the final findings memo for the Lecture Pour Tous pilot. The Consortium will also develop a PowerPoint presentation and prepare for the final Learning Check scheduled for July 27. Following the Learning Check, the Consortium will begin close-out activities. The Consortium will also review data sets shared by USAID to inform the development of the targeting tool for the TIGER-OR pilot and conduct the econometric analysis to develop the targeting tool and plan for field testing of the tool in Q1 of FY2022.