Our overall Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) approach

Our overall approach to Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) on HCA-II is learning centred, focussing on generating evidence and lessons that can inform project and programme learning and adaptation. It is iterative and experimental, ensuring that we develop and adapt ways of doing MEL that are contextually driven and relevant, including developing new approaches and tools where appropriate. Participation and collaboration are at the heart of our MEL, including in co-designing, co-delivering, co-reviewing and co-actioning lessons alongside project partners and adolescents where possible.

Fondation Botnar’s Evidence to Action (E2A) Framework has inspired the overall HCA-II programme design and our MEL approach such as HCA-II’s overall aims and outcomes being guided by the E2A domains of change including: empowered youth and communities, effective city systems, equitable partnerships, harnessing technological innovation and global in reach aspirations. E2A has shaped the types of evidence and how data is collected by our projects and the programme, and how we capture learning around what works well or not so well in achieving our overall ambition of supporting adolescents to thrive and fulfil their potential in cities to be able to contribute as active and empowered citizens.

HCA-II MEL Structure

Our MEL approach is cyclical where monitoring, evaluation and learning are inextricably linked and feed into each other to produce evidence, lessons and learning within projects and across the programme both for internal learning purposes, as well as to share with external stakeholders and wider audiences operating in the global adolescent health and wellbeing space.

As shown in the figure, MEL is undertaken at two main levels:

Project-level – Each project partner and their consortia carry out MEL generating locally-driven evidence, both around project delivery and on understanding of what works and what does not in improving adolescent health and wellbeing in urban settings in their respective contexts.
Programme-level – MEL is conducted across the HCA-II portfolio, aggregating project-level evidence and learning, focussing on higher-level programmatic outcomes and wider contributions to relevant sectoral evidence and knowledge. The programme also conducts MEL on its operational delivery to drive ongoing improvements and adaptations to ensure effective and high-quality support to HCA-II projects.

HCA-II Theory of Change

The HCA-II Theory of Change outlines how we expect project and programme level activities across the HCA-II lifecycle and portfolio will lead to desired medium- and long-term outcomes, as well as intended impact.

IMPACT

Adolescents thrive and are able to fulfil their potential in cities contributing as active and empowered citizens to sustainable urban development that meets their needs today and into the future

LONG-TERM OUTCOMES

Improved and more equitable outcomes in priority health and wellbeing domains for adolescents in intermediary cities

Shifts in system conditions catalysed which tackle root causes and promote sustainability

Digital transformation harnessed to support adolescent health and wellbeing priorities and promote inclusion

Robust programme evidence and learning produced and used to influence practice and policy and local and global levels

MEDIUM-TERM OUTCOMES

Adolescents gain knowledge and skills that enable them to influence their health and wellbeing

Adolescents empowered to hold duty bearers to account on their health and wellbeing needs in their city

City governance is more responsive to adolescent health and wellbeing agendas and actively engages adolescents and local communities

City infrastructure and services are strengthened and made more accessible to promote adolescent health and wellbeing

Inclusive and enabling digital approaches improve adolescents’ access to opportunities and services, and promote empowerment

Improved evidence use, learning and coordination between public sector, private sector, academic and civil society actors on issues related to adolescent health and wellbeing

HCA-II PROJECT OUTPUTS

Activities to improve knowledge and skills across adolescent health and wellbeing domains

Activities to promote engagement between city governance, adolescents and local communities

Activities to improve city infrastructure and services to address adolescent health and wellbeing needs

Activities to engage adolescents in advocacy initiatives that promote their health and wellbeing needs

Activities to promote digital approaches that are inclusive and can be adapted to the local context

HCA-II PROGRAMME OUTPUTS

Projects promoting adolescent health and wellbeing in intermediary cities are tested and scaled across target countries

Evidence on lessons learned and best practice in promoting adolescent health and wellbeing in cities is generated and disseminated

Multisectoral partnerships are established involving adolescents, public and private sector, academia and civil society

PROGRAMME LEVEL ACTIVITIES

Partner identification and project(s) co-design

Country scoping studies
(Lead) partner selection
Input to projects’ design process

Operational and technical oversight

Project oversight and compliance (operational / technical / financial)

Capacity development

Technical and operational support

Partnerships and advocacy

Global partnership development
Global advocacy work

Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)

Common MEL infrastructure design & delivery
Shared learning and knowledge building

HCA-II Mid-term Internal Learning Exercise (MILE)

About the MILE

The Mid-term Internal Learning Exercise (MILE) was a year-long (September 2023 – October 2024) formative exercise intended to support learning around what is working well and what adaptations can be made to the HCA-II programme with an aim to enhance overall delivery and ultimately, impact. It captured learning of seven HCA-II projects across six countries that were active as of December 2023.

The objectives of the MILE were to:

Identify lessons related to project and programme design and implementation of HCA-II (and its funded projects) from December 2021 up to December 2023.
Learn about what has been working well so far (and what could be done differently) in designing and implementing AHW projects in urban environments, across various contexts.
Adapt HCA-II programme-level management processes based on learning, to ensure HCA-II projects are supported in achieving impact with and for adolescents, and wider city stakeholders.
Capture initial lessons for potential future phases of HCA, for similar projects and programmes and for the wider global community that operate in the AHW space.

The MILE was co-designed and co-delivered by the Global Team, HCA-II in-country managers (ICMs) and project partners, with a strong emphasis on participatory and utilisation focussed methods particularly guided by the participatory action research and learning (PAR-L) cycle.

The MILE methodology was shaped around five research domains inspired by the E2A framework and included a comprehensive desk review and primary research consisting of in-country and online visits, in-depth discussions with project consortia, city authorities, adolescents and wider stakeholders. It concluded with a series of collaborative sense-making and action-planning workshops as part of the ‘co-action’ phase.

Learning and Impact