How are others thinking about decolonising MEL within the international development sector?

As part of INTRAC’s work to explore and challenge understandings of decolonisation in the international development and humanitarian sectors, we have been considering what it means to decolonise monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), and what practical difference this could make to transforming wider power inequities in the aid system.

In the context of this learning journey, in late 2024, we undertook a brief scoping exercise to explore current debates and thinking around the decolonisation of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) in the international development and humanitarian sectors. This review was produced with funding from Comic Relief and is based on 34 blogs, vlogs/videos, webinars, journal articles, working papers, and guidance notes. These were developed by academics and MEL practitioners based in the UK, Africa, Indonesia, Australia, Canada and USA (First Nations). Many of these articles were shared with INTRAC through its network of consultants or sourced by staff attending online learning events and webinars. We also searched a number of relevant academic journals, using the following search terms: decolonisation, localisation, M&E, MEL, research, and international development. A list of the articles reviewed can be found in annex A.

This document summarises the themes emerging from this review. It is intended to guide conversations with INTRAC’s partners, colleagues, and wider network around future learning and research on decolonising MEL and inform changes to how we practice MEL through our consultancy work, in order to challenge existing power inequities and contribute to transformative change in the sector.

Lucy Gray is a Senior Consultant for INTRAC. She has been working with a range of international development organisations across Africa, Asia and the Pacific region for the past 20 years. She has worked with large organisations including VSO, WWF, and Comic Relief. Lucy supports evaluations, training and the design of MEL systems and frameworks, while engaging in sector debates around power in development practice.