What next?
Congratulations, you have (almost) completed this Getting Started course. Just a few things left to do:
1) Review the work you have done during the activities in this course. You have started to create a picture of the MEL situation and opportunities for your project.
2) Browse the other courses available on Permaculture Impact (we will be adding more over time). Which will you do next? If you are unsure which course is best for you, please post a message in the forum and we will try to help. Here is a summary of courses currently available:
Basics of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning – This is a general introduction to Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) where you will learn step by step how to plan your own M&E.
Change Pathways Mapping – Change Pathways Mapping is a practical approach to eliciting and documenting the underlying Theory of Change of your project. This course is designed for established projects but can also help new projects at the planning and visioning stage. It is especially useful for projects which are multi-faceted and integrated, as many permaculture projects are. During this course you will create your own Change Pathways Map for your project. The process and the resulting map will be a foundation for developing or enhancing a Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) plan for your project or organisation, and for understanding your project’s intended impacts.
Nutrition Evaluation – You will learn the basics of nutrition and how to improve your project for impact on Nutrition. You will also be guided on ways to evaluate for Nutrition. Examples will help illustrate each lesson. This will be a very good way to contribute to improving the nutritional status of your community, as well as being able to share your findings with others who are interested to know.
Indicators – This mini-course is a quick introduction to indicators. What are they? What are they for? Where do they come from? Familiarise yourself with indicators and then have a go at creating some of your own (just for fun).
Stakeholder Analysis – In this mini-course, you will learn what a stakeholder is, identify your project stakeholders, and try out one method for analysing your stakeholders, which can help you to decide who to involve in your MEL and how.
Intro to Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluations – This mini-course introduces you to qualitative and quantitative data, and describes how to do qualitative and quantitative evaluations. You will then plan an evaluation of each type for your own project. This short course works well alongside our Basics of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning course and our Nutrition Evaluation course.
Revaluation – coming soon. Revaluation is a participatory approach that helps you to identify and understand the value created by your project. Participants, staff and other stakeholders tell their own stories which are then analysed to shape your MEL plan. It is an excellent starting point for projects that are striving for a range of impacts. This course will be available soon. Indicate your interest by posting a message in the forum and we’ll let you know when the course launches.
3) Please take a moment to give us feedback on this course by filling in the form on the next page.