What is PPMEL?

_{*PPMEL refers to Participatory Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning}

Since 1990, PPMEL has gained popularity within the international development sector. Traditional (Western) evaluation methods are known to ignore or undermine the voice and power of local communities, and therefore also the voices of those most affected by projects.

PPMEL changes this by putting the voices of those affected by the project and local knowledge at the centre. PPMEL is therefore not only an approach to evaluate projects, but also to learn together and make adjustments that the community believes are valuable and important. This makes change more relevant and more sustainable.

Thus, in the PPMEL approach, communities are involved in every step of the project cycle: from planning and implementation to monitoring and evaluation. In this way, PPMEL contributes to inclusive decision-making and reduces unequal power relations.

This participatory approach gives voice to people in the community who were not involved before.

This creates more sustainable and adaptive organisations. They are heard and see, which increases their resilience! This is especially important in a world full of unpredictable, complex and rapid change. Therefore, it is important to focus on long-term results and impact rather than short-term impact.

PPMEL also promotes ownership and recognition of local knowledge and needs. The people concerned know best what is needed in their community and where they experience challenges. It is important to listen to this and to take this into consideration. Embracing this methodology thus paves the way for more responsive, resilient and equitable project management and outcomes.

Importance of using a participatory approach

With a participatory approach at all stages of the project, you ask crucial questions such as: Does the project have the same outcomes for everyone? What can be changed for the next project to reach more people and goals? And what can we learn from what works or doesn’t work?

By talking about this together and openly, we can make projects more sustainable and increase impact. Here are the key steps for Participatory Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning listed:

• Stakeholder identification and engagement
  Start by identifying all relevant groups and individuals who have a stake in the project. Make sure they are actively involved at every stage of the process so that every voices are included and represented.
• Collaborative planning
  Involve stakeholders in defining the scope, objectives and critical questions of the evaluation. This ensures that the evaluation focuses on the most relevant issues and that everyone feels heard.
• Listen to the community’s ideas and come to an analysis together
  Let stakeholders participate in telling you what they think is important. Together you collect and analyse the of data in this way. You can do this through surveys, focus groups and participatory research. This ensures that the data reflect the real impact of the programme. In the Whitepaper you will find several tools to engage participatively with the community!
• Reporting and action
  Share outcomes in an accessible way and work with stakeholders to interpret the results. Based on this, develop the action plan together. Adjust where necessary and be transparent about choices made.