02 / MERL Field Expedition

The numbers tell a story. The field tells you more.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) in the field. Travel across three community sites, inspect what was recorded, expose what is missing and agree the next learning action with a partner.

FIELD NOTEOutput ≠ outcomePrototype ·
fictional data

EXPEDITION BRIEFS

Choose the question
you’re taking into the field.

THE FIELD / THREE SITES

Follow the evidence across the landscape.

Illustrated coastal terrain with three fictional community field sites linked by a survey route.

Recorded delivery620 / 1,000 connections

FIELD NOTE / SITE 01

Coast site

The connection register and both service checks are present for this period. That supports the output count here, but it does not establish the programme outcome.

AI observation · Coast

Register, quality sample and uptime log are all present. Coast supports its own output count, but one well-documented site can’t speak for the programme outcome.

Question for the partner

Is Coast typical of the other sites, or did it get more attention? We shouldn’t generalise from the best-documented site.

Open field register Source

New connections: 240
Baseline: 0
Period: Current reporting period

Open evidence checks Check

Quality sample present · uptime log available. Unknown values stay unknown; nothing is estimated to fill them.

FROM OBSERVATION TO INTERPRETATION

Keep each link visible.

Monitoring tracks delivery. Follow-up and evaluation test whether outcomes occurred and why. The next link is an assumption to investigate with partners, not a causal conclusion to generate.

01 / ACTIVITYInstall household water connections

02 / OUTPUTHouseholds connected620 recorded this period

03 / OUTCOMEReliable access to safe waterNot yet established

AI DRAFT · RULE CHECK

The AI drafts. The rules decide what can be claimed.

RESULTS TABLE

Report the knowns and the gaps together.

Indicator	Baseline	Current	Target	Source	Limitation
Households connected	0	620	1,000	Connection registers	Quality and uptime incomplete at 2 sites
Reliable access to safe waterSupply meets the national drinking-water standard and runs at least 95% of the period	Unknown	Not established	800 households by end of Activity	Quality + uptime follow-up	No causal or representative claim

Reportable output: 620 of 1,000 connections is 62% output progress. The outcome is not established.

MERL WORKPLAN

Turn the gap into a real next action.

Collect the missing Ridge quality sample and Estuary uptime log. Choose who will carry it and when it returns to the learning cycle.

Action ownerDue pointKeep the limitation in the reportQuality or uptime evidence is incomplete at two sites; no representative or causal claim is supported.Discuss with the partner firstThe evidence is discussed with the local partner before any outcome claim is made.

PARTNER MERL LEAD · INTERNAL REVIEW

Agree the interpretation, with its limits attached.

This records the implementing partner’s internal interpretation. It isn’t a submission to MFAT; formal reporting follows the Activity’s funding arrangement.

Choose an owner and due point, then confirm both review checks.

Reason to return

No decision recorded yet. Nothing is approved automatically, and nothing is sent to MFAT from here.

A CONNECTED EVIDENCE PRACTICE

Technology follows the work.

01 / AUTOMATIONField forms
Structured observations, collection method and sync status.
02 / AI + RULESEvidence checks
Validation and gaps surfaced against available records.
03 / STRUCTUREDResults Table
Baseline, current value, target, source and limitation together.
04 / HUMANPartner review
Context, meaning and next action agreed with people.
05 / PARTNER-APPROVEDInterpretation
Owner and limits attached, ready for the agreed reporting process.