Takunda Chirau, Deputy Director of the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Anglophone Africa (CLEAR-AA), reflects on CLEAR-AA's journey to a systems-based approach for strengthening M&E in the countries where the Center works.

When we talk about a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system, what sort of system are we thinking about? Do we have a narrow or broad understanding? And how should we design, plan and implement a system that effectively supports monitoring, evaluation and evidence use?

If diagnostics are important to address the complexity in sports competitions, then they are certainly crucial in public policy – including the development of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems.

While the data revolution is unlikely to fundamentally transform the field of evaluation in the next few years, in many ways it will change the way evaluations are conducted and how data are used. What are some of the implications for evaluation training and professional development?

Working in partnership with the Rio Grande do Sul State Government and local stakeholders, the CLEAR-LAB team supported policymakers in upgrading the Primeira Infância Melhor Program (PIM) in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the focus is on helping get food to the hungry, providing basic services to displaced populations, or restoring peace and dealing with the devastating consequences of war, how important could it be to focus on M&E?

As the Global Evaluation Initiative community sets off on its journey, a crucial question to keep track of is: how will we know if we are making a difference?

While we live in a reality where multiple evaluation models are being put into practice, one should ask the question, what are the core skills and knowledge elements that evaluators and other evaluation stakeholders should be equipped with?

Can you imagine getting a prescription from a doctor without being diagnosed first? You would protest it as guesswork. Even the finest doctors need to review symptoms before suggesting the right approach.

Along with making progress on the technical side, we should develop the capacity to effectively convey messages about evaluation, information, and evidence.