Many Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) courses, developed by USAID and other organizations, are available to USAID Mission and project staff.
Use the search function below to identify online courses that meet your current needs. You can also view all of USAID’s Global Health eLearning Center M&E-related courses in one place at this link.
Search the M&E Course Repository
We found 24 resource(s)
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Introduction to DHS Nutrition Indicators
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This DHS Nutrition Indicators course is designed to orient national stakeholders such as professionals from ministries of health, civil society, and multilaterals to the nutrition indicators reported in The DHS Program surveys and how to interpret them. Both generalists and technical staff who work in nutrition, as well as policy makers and program managers, will benefit from this course.
Measuring and Modeling Impact in Evaluations
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course provides a better understanding of different measures of impact that could be used in the evaluation of a program in the areas of maternal and child health and nutrition. For each of the measures presented, the course will discuss current sources of data you might draw on as well as describe the methods that can be used to measure these, including identifying the strengths and weakness of the methods as well as their suitably for use in an evaluation.
Evaluating Public Health Programs at Scale
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course provides an introduction to evaluating public health programs at scale. This course focuses on evaluating public health programs and policies in low- and middle-income countries, however, core skills of designing and carrying out an evaluation are applicable to any public health programs and policies.
DHS Dataset Users
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
The DHS Dataset Users (2021 edition) course presents relevant knowledge and skills to understand and use DHS data, and to begin using DHS data for your own analysis. The course will provide an opportunity to practice these skills using standardized DHS model datasets, and provide you with a better understanding of DHS surveys, sample design, and data structure.
Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Basic Principles
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This module provides an overview of the principles and practice of program monitoring and evaluation, with a focus on how to define and measure a program’s success using the appropriate indicators and research design. The course is designed for researchers, project staff, and development practitioners who need to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate development projects, with a particular emphasis on food security and nutrition-related programs in developing countries.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Adapting (MERLA)
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course takes participants through five modules introducing Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Adapting (MERLA) for international development programs. Participants learn how to integrate MERLA into the project cycle, develop data collection instruments and manage performance and evaluation data, design program logic models and performance indicators, and understand implementing costs.
Essential Statistical Concepts for Understanding DHS Program Data
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
The DHS Program’s Essential Statistical Concepts for Understanding DHS Program Data course familiarizes data users with the most commonly used statistics in tables from The DHS Program household-based surveys, including basic calculations, definitions, and considerations for use. These skills are essential for correct interpretation of tables and correct application/citation of DHS data in reports, journalism, and everyday data use for decision making.
Developing a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan for Food Security and Agriculture Programmes
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course prepares participants to plan the information needs for monitoring, pilotage, and evaluation over the life cycle of food, nutrition security, and agriculture programs. The course offers practical guidance on building an M&E system that is practical and relevant to a program's needs.
Basic and Advanced Impact Analysis
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course introduces the application of theories of social and behavior change communication and advanced statistical methods to improve the measurement of health communication impact. Upon completing this course, learners can apply basic and advanced multivariate methods to test causal models of communication impact, overcome threats to validity in evaluation design, and strengthen causal inference.
Preparing Data for Impact Analysis
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course introduces learners to apply theories of social and behavior change communication and advanced statistical methods to improve the measurement of health communication impact. Upon completing this course, learners can operationalize key variables to measure exposure, ideation, and psychosocial, behavioral, and social change; and manipulate data (coding, recoding, and generating new variables and scales) for analysis.
Introduction to Impact Evaluation of Health Communication Programs
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course teaches learners how to apply theories of social and behavior change communication and advanced statistical methods to improve the measurement of health communication impact. Learners develop a theory of change to guide the design of impact analysis, describe the types of research designs and the strengths and weaknesses of each, and identify threats to the validity of causal inferences and how to overcome them.
M&E Fundamentals: A Self-Guided Minicourse
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course covers monitoring and evaluation basics for population, health, and nutrition programs. Participants 1) learn the main components of an M&E plan and the differences between conceptual and results frameworks and logic models, 2) identify criteria for the selection of indicators and how they link to frameworks, and 3) become familiar with data types and fostering data for decision-making.
Data Demand and Use: An Introduction to Concepts and Tools
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course provides the conceptual basis for data-informed decision-making within an organization or program, or at the national, state, or district levels of government. Participants are introduced to several tools created by MEASURE Evaluation to facilitate the use of data in decision-making. Participants learn the roles and context in which decisions are made, and data is used and shared.
Demographic and Health Surveys: Data Use
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course provides an overview of the Demographic and Health Surveys project so program staff, policymakers, and researchers are better able to use DHS data to make evidence-based decisions. Learners will understand the steps in conducting a DHS survey; comprehend basic DHS tables, including understanding basic DHS terminology, and patterns in the data tables and figures; and use DHS data and online tools to inform programs and policies.
Gender M&E
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course outlines how gender can be integrated into health and gender program M&E. It is useful for M&E officers who seek to integrate a gender perspective into their efforts. Participants learn the difference between sex-disaggregated indicators and gender-sensitive indicators; review key gender considerations in data collection, interpretation, and use; and become familiar with specific tools and resources to support gender M&E.
Data Use for Program Managers (HIV/AIDS-specific)
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course promotes data use for evidence-based HIV/AIDS program planning and improvement. Learners understand concepts of data use and how to apply them to make decisions and answer key questions.
Economic Evaluation Basics
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course provides an overview of the key considerations for conducting economic evaluations and their role in policy and program decision-making. Participants learn about the utility of economic evaluation in international public health, identify the common methods of economic evaluation and which best suits a given situation, and understand how to conduct an economic evaluation.
Data Quality
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course outlines what data quality is, why it is important, and how programs can improve it, particularly for HIV/AIDS programs. Participants learn the seven dimensions of data quality and identify the types of double counting that can impact quality and the strategies that can be employed to avoid it.
M&E of Population, Health and Nutrition Programs
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
These course materials outline M&E plan design for programs such as nutrition, maternal and child health, and HIV/AIDS. The course provides an overview of results frameworks, program indicators, program evaluation types, and the identification of data sources. Materials include PowerPoint slides with speaker notes, course handouts, case studies, and group activities.
Fundamentals of Program Evaluation
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course outlines different types of program evaluation, including needs assessment, formative research, process evaluation, monitoring of outputs and outcomes, impact assessment, and cost analysis. Participants complete a series of exercises to design a conceptual framework, develop indicators, analyze computerized service statistics, and develop an evaluation plan to measure impact.
Designing and Implementing Monitoring & Evaluating Systems
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course teaches participants how to expand program results frameworks and indicators into a well-functioning system of data collection, analysis, interpretation, reporting, and learning. Participants learn a five-step process of establishing an M&E system for a project or program—from defining results frameworks to data collection, analysis, and monitoring outputs.
MEAL DPro: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course outlines the fundamentals of program Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL). Participants learn how to design logic models and frameworks and use MEAL planning tools, such as Performance Management Plans and Indicator Performance Tracking Tables, to collect information and make decisions.
Monitoring and Evaluation Practices
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course outlines the basics of humanitarian and development program M&E. Participants learn how to differentiate between monitoring and evaluation, develop a logical framework (logframe) based on a theory of change to design effective programs, choose appropriate data collection methods, and prepare for and conduct meaningful data analysis and action planning.
Planning for Monitoring and Evaluation
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
This course outlines the basics of M&E. Participants learn how to plan for data collection, management, analysis, and use. Participants are guided through the process of creating a project M&E plan. Learners who complete this free online course are eligible to receive a certificate of achievement from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.