Short Abstract

Automating Indicator Targets vs Actuals reporting through use of real-time MEL Technologies enables real-time tracking and analysis of program performance. This approach supports timely reflection, collaborative learning, and evidence-informed decisions throughout the program cycle.

Description

Evaluation findings often arrive too late to influence decision-making, limiting their utility for adaptive management. Manual data collection and reporting introduce delays and inconsistencies, creating a disconnect between technical findings and actionable insights that undermines evaluation goals of supporting learning and improving effectiveness.

To address this, Mercy Corps is rolling out MEL Technologies globally, including CommCare for case management/offline data collection, Microsoft Azure for cloud data engineering and storage, and Power BI for interactive analysis and visualization. A key component of this rollout is a standardized approach to automating Indicator Targets vs Actuals reporting across all Mercy Corps country offices. This enables MEL champions to design and deploy dashboards that transform raw data into timely, actionable insights. This ensures all Mercy Corps country teams are well equipped to monitor performance in real time, identify gaps, and take corrective action long before final reports/evaluations are produced.

The approach aligns with utilization-focused evaluation principles, emphasizing practical application, stakeholder engagement, and actionable evidence. Automated dashboards are designed not only to display performance metrics but also to support interpretation and reflection across diverse audiences. Through visual storytelling, interactive features, and co-created analytics, program teams and decision-makers can collectively understand trends, co-design solutions, and embed learning throughout the program cycle.

A key strength of Mercy Corps’ approach is its capacity-building pathway, which moves from basic to advanced automation techniques. Recent MEL Tech trainings (delivered in English, French, and Spanish) reached over 130 MEL champions across 30+ countries in Latin America, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe equipping them to develop automated data engineering processes and dashboards that that establish consistent Indicator Targets vs Actuals analysis as well as conducting country portfolio-level analysis, organizational outcome measurement, and automated participant counts. This structured training approach ensures consistency, promotes shared understanding, and enables scaling of automated MEL Tech systems across diverse programs and countries.

This session will share Mercy Corps’ experience in standardizing Indicator Targets vs Actuals automation, highlighting technical design, training approach, and lessons learned. Participants will explore how combining MEL technologies, capacity building, and utilization-focused evaluation can transform evaluation from a static reporting exercise into a dynamic, collaborative practice and turn data into actionable insights that drive real-time program improvement and learning across multiple contexts.