Plan International Canada’s approach in Monitoring, Evaluation and Research reflects a shared commitment with our donors and partners to understand and measure the performance of our development assistance.
This commitment not only improves resource use for development through learning from experience but also ensures accountability to the beneficiaries of our programs, key partners, our donors and funders and the general public. More information of Plan’s program approaches, learning and results can be found below.
Our experience
Plan International Canada’s Program Effectiveness and Quality Unit (PEQU) team has extensive experience using quantitative and qualitative methods with our in-country partners to support learning and outcome and impact measurement and research. Outcome measurement helps us understand the impact our programs have, facilitating course correction and improvement of future program designs. We use a variety of methodological tools to carry out cutting-edge monitoring, evaluation and research activities. Quantitative tools such as survey development and deployment, market and value chain assessment, randomized control trials and quasi-experimental design, along with qualitative data collection and analysis including participatory appraisal are used to carry out monitoring, evaluation and research activities.
Our values
We strive to ensure that women and girls play an active role at every stage of our monitoring, evaluation and research work. Women and girls participate in a variety of activities, including program design, field work and data collection and analysis. Gender assessments are undertaken, in part, to understand specific gender equality dynamics within targeted communities, how they intersect with other socio-economic factors of exclusion, and as they relate to the project outcomes and activities. Participatory approaches are incorporated to empower women and girls as key decision makers and partners in the choices in their life – for example, from providing views on the health, education or protection services available to them to speaking on the gender equality practices with leaders in their community.
Our safeguarding approaches during all phases of monitoring, evaluation and research ensure the safety and protection of all children and young people throughout.
Our approaches and partnerships
The PEQU unit encourages innovative approaches and partnerships to support our work on evidence-based decisions, learning and research. Plan International Canada leads in measurement of gender transformative outcomes, outputs and activities, developing gender sensitive Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in our Women and Girls Empowerment Index to track progress in girl’s agency.
Plan International Canada works with leading Canadian and International universities and research institutes to respond to recognized gaps in data or global evidence, as well as solutions-oriented processes which focus on better measurement, monitoring or dissemination of findings.