30/09/2026
From M&E to MEAL: Why Accountability Matters
Over time, humanitarian and development practice has evolved from Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) toward Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) and increasingly toward MEAL — Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning.
This evolution reflects an important shift:
It is not enough to measure whether a programme is working. We also need to understand whether we are listening to the people affected by our programmes, responding to what they tell us, and using their feedback to improve decisions.
🔹 Monitoring → Are we implementing as planned?
🔹 Evaluation → What worked, for whom, and why?
🔹 Learning → What should we adapt based on evidence?
🔹 Accountability → Are we using our power responsibly and responding to the people affected by our decisions?
This is where AAP and CFM become closely connected to MEAL.
AAP provides the approach for putting affected people at the center of decisions, while CFM provides practical mechanisms to listen, receive feedback, respond, and close the feedback loop.
The CHS 2024 reinforces this connection.
