Challenges and Opportunities Related to Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
Resource Constraints
Barrier: Dedicated resources to MEL activities are necessary for a vibrant learning culture. Lack of staff time and/or knowledge and insufficient data gathering strategies impact this capacity.
Opportunity: Identifying knowledgeable staff to take on MEL activities, including developing tasks and timelines, routine information gathering, data management systems, and establishing ongoing communication and key deliverables can improve the adoption of MEL.
Low Prioritization
Barrier: In face of resource constraints and other barriers, MEL is often relegated to a low priority element of a program. This is understandable in HEP, given the demands of implementing education programs and the expansive personnel and coordination needed.
Opportunity: Dedicating time and resources to developing MEL plans that are manageable and sustainable and strategic will support an evolving and embedded MEL program.
Institutional Constraints
Barrier: Constraints at the institutional level are top of mind for HEP settings. The policies, procedures, and ethical standards for performing MEL activities can provide guidance but also constraints that implementers need to prepare for. On the university side, MEL staff need to adhere to ethical standards and principles in gathering information with vulnerable populations, including establishing protocols for information privacy and ensuring beneficence and justice. On the prison side, there may be constraints regarding the type of information gathered such as surveys, interviews, or observations. Prison policies may limit the gathering of these data points without internal approval. This process is inherently sensitive as sometimes prison policies may be in tension with ethical standards of evaluation and research.
Opportunities: Open communication and shared goals are necessary for establishing a strong MEL strategy. MEL activities should include mutually beneficial outcomes and outputs (e.g., reports, presentations) to achieve balance with the constraints.
Lack of Strategic Information Gathering
Barrier: Rapid or unintentional collecting of information may result in overburdened staff and the potential for “data rich, information poor” MEL inputs.
Opportunities: Intentional and expert-driven MEL development will support strategic information gathering and efficient use of resources.
Cultural Barriers
Barrier: Engaging in MEL activities in HEP requires consideration of the vulnerable nature of the population. Ethical standards recognize the nature of involuntary commitment to prison and the potential for coercion that may impact individual autonomy and authenticity of participation.
Opportunities: With this aspect of HEP in mind, MEL models can ensure routine monitoring and assessment of evaluation activities and conceptualization and operationalization of key performance indicators. One method is to engage in participatory research approaches which invite participants to act as co-researchers, aiming to reduce the power imbalance of researcher and participants and in the context of the prison environment.
Lack of Application of Learning
Barrier: A common barrier to effect MEL activities is neglecting the learning aspect of monitoring and evaluation results.
Opportunities: Similar to opportunities to respond to aforementioned constraints, developing an intentional MEL program can embed the principles of learning into the culture of HEP programs.