Paper short abstract:

Contributing to debates on MEAL, development and faith, this paper discusses how two faith-based organisations operating in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean approach MEAL in their work with local faith actors, the role faith plays in their MEAL work, and how it has been affected by the Covid pandemic.

Paper long abstract:

Faith actors have long been involved in development and humanitarian initiatives aimed at improving the wellbeing and health of communities. While much of the international system continues to be characterised by secular approaches, there is an increasing awareness of the contribution of faith communities to development and humanitarian aid, which goes hand in hand with a recognition that international secular approaches are not always suited for engagements with local faith actors. While some areas related to faith and development/humanitarian aid are relatively well-researched, we have limited knowledge about Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) and faith.

This paper focuses on MEAL in partnerships between international actors and local faith actors during the Covid pandemic in the Global South. Drawing on interviews with over 30 research participants, it hones in on the experiences of two faith-based development organisations - one operating in the Philippines and the other in Burundi, Haiti, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The paper looks at how the organisations approach MEAL as international faith-based organisations in their work with local faith actors, the role that faith plays in their MEAL work, and how the Covid pandemic has affected their MEAL approaches. It finds that the pandemic created both challenges and opportunities for the organisations and their local partners, and highlights the creative ways in which MEAL methodologies were adapted in response to the crisis.