Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) is a comprehensive service offering where we combine cutting-edge quantitative and qualitative methods with a collaborative, adaptive framework to ensure faster and timely evidence-based program & policy decision-making. Our domain experts apply a scientific lens to conduct assessments, and track performance of interventions. With deep cross-sectoral expertise, we also provide technical assistance and support to partners in developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks based on program theory of change, validation of performance indicators, data dashboards and analytics to enable focused and results-driven programming.
Projects
DREAMS for a Safer Future: HIV Prevention Among Adolescent Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa
DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) is a public-private partnership launched in 2014 by PEPFAR (the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), alongside partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Girl Effect, Johnson & Johnson, Gilead Sciences, and ViiV Healthcare. It aims to reduce HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), who are disproportionately affected by the epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa.
PopulationCouncil Consulting team provided technical and data analytics support to the DREAMS’ team in re-gearing the program intervention based on the evidence from the ground. The study was conducted in three out of 10 supported countries, namely, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW, 15-24 years old). A quantitative study covering 3000 AGYW across three countries, profiled the vulnerability towards HIV/AIDS.
The study throws light on the key challenges of identifying and reaching vulnerable AGYW for HIV prevention efforts. It also brought forth that the out-of-school AGYW are more vulnerable due to multitude of reasons such as high level of food insecurity, gender inequitable households etc. These learnings served as inputs for program design for community-based HIV prevention among high and low vulnerability population.
Another longitudinal study across two time points, over a period of 12-16 months among AGYW population revealed that DREAMS project had a positive effect on HIV related behaviours, HIV testing increased among young girls in Kenya and Zambia, sexual violence from partners showed decline.
Growing Livelihood Opportunities for Women (GLOW)
The GLOW (Generating Livelihood Opportunities for Women) program, implemented by FSG with support from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), aimed to expand livelihood opportunities for young and adult women from low-income households. The program focused on increasing female employment in three key sectors—last-mile delivery (LMD), warehousing, and flexi-staffing—by embedding gender-equitable practices within partner companies that operate at a national scale.
PopulationCouncil Consulting served as the evaluation and learning partner for GLOW, conducting baseline, midline, and endline studies to assess the program’s impact. The evaluation assessed the changes in women’s labour force participation, recruitment and retention in targeted industries, shifts in gender dynamics, and improvements in women’s agency and well-being in urban low-income communities. A mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative tools, have been used in the project.
Findings indicated that GLOW’s partner companies have taken deliberate steps to recruit more women since the program’s launch. Employers have introduced gender-affirmative practices such as revised hiring policies, safer and more inclusive work environments, transport support (e.g., pick-and-drop services and buddy riders in LMD), targeted training, and performance incentives. Encouragingly, recent market trends from large-scale surveys showed growing work participation of women in sectors such as e-commerce, retail, FMCG, manufacturing (including automotive, EVs, plastics, and textiles), warehousing, courier services, and BFSI—signalling strong potential for further scaling gender-inclusive workforce strategies that were adopted in GLOW program.