Scaling with Confidence: Effective M&E in Guiding Decisions for Scaling Innovations

Good monitoring and evaluation is the foundation for informed decision making when it comes to scaling up successful innovations. This evidence can provide essential feedback on the performance and impact of the innovation, its cost-effectiveness and sustainability. It is critical when considering whether, when and how to scale up the innovation, and it can also highlight areas for improvements. But how can we determine whether an innovation is truly making a difference? How can we ensure that we choose the right approaches to effectively measure change in complex real-world systems? How can we avoid using vanity metrics that look impressive but don’t reflect the true impact of innovations? What kinds of evidence are needed to satisfy different stakeholders, including donors – and how can the generation of this evidence be supported? During this session, speakers explored various methodologies and best practices for evaluating innovations, and advice on how to utilise evidence strategically to facilitate their journey towards scale.