This course gives you the skills you need to conduct monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) activities through the entire project cycle, helping you successfully deliver your project on scope, on time, and on budget.

Pyramid Learning delivers the MEAL DPro On-line Course to individuals – via a 4-week on-line course – and via organization-wide cohorts.

Just one month to learn MEAL DPro and be ready for the MEAL DPro certification!

This MEAL DPro On-line Course is designed for the active professionals who want to learn MEAL via a process that is virtual, social and mobile-ready.

As you go through the course, you will interact with facilitators and other learners, exploring ideas and participating in conversations about the different skills and tools of project management.  Learning activities include completing course readings, watching instructional videos, competing complete e-learning modules and submitting examples of work.

Everything about the course design is flexible!  The learning platform is accessible when you want – day or night.  As you go through the course, modules will unlock – as long as you are doing the work! The platform allows you to go back and review what others are saying. If you need to take a break, you can catch up. The course is also mobile-ready, so you continue to learn when you are on-the-go.

For best results, we recommend that you develop a learning plan that allocates approximately 4-5 hours each week for study.  In order to progress through the course, you will need to complete  the learning activities. You will also be expected to join in course discussions, contributing to discussions and responding to your classmates comments! The more you do, the more you learn  and the faster you progress through the course. We hope that this creates an interesting learning and sharing experience.

Click the CURRICULUM tab to learn more about the course objectives.

Curriculum

The course approaches MEAL as a puzzle made up of four pieces. Each piece—monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning—has its unique place and purpose, but the MEAL system is only effective when the pieces are aligned, connected and working together.

MEAL DPro Course Schedule and Learning Objectives

Week 1:    Introducing MEAL

  • Define the components and purpose of MEAL
  • Explain the benefits of a strong MEAL system
  • Describe the relationship between MEAL and project management
  • Identify the five phases of MEAL
  • Describe the ethical standards and principles relevant to MEAL

Week 2:   Logic Models

  • Describe how project logic models contribute to establishing a strong foundation for MEAL
  • Compare and contrast the components, structure and purpose of the Theory of Change, Results Framework and the Logical Framework
  • Explain the purpose of identifying assumptions in project logic models
  • Interpret the vertical and horizontal logic of the Logical Framework
  • Understand the characteristics of a SMART indicator
  • Identify the most common measurement methods and when they are used
Week 3    MEAL Planning Tools

  • Identify and describe the purpose, process, and content of key MEAL planning tools, including
    • Performance Monitoring Plans
    • Indicator Performance Tracking Table
    • Evaluation Summary Table
    • Evaluation Terms of Reference
    • Feedback Response Mechanisms
  • Discuss the various types of evaluation and the data required for each

Week 4    Collecting and analyzing MEAL data

  • Explain the 5 elements of data quality
  • Describe the components of a basic data collection tool, including questionnaires, surveys, interviews and focus groups
  • Explain the basic principles of sampling
  • Describe key steps in preparing to implement data collection tools
  • Identify generally accepted protocols and standards for responsible data management
  • Describe the purpose and processes of quantitative data analysis
  • Describe the purpose and processes of qualitative data analysis

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours is the course?

The course is approximately 5 hours per week over 4 weeks – there are many learning styles and some people prefer to take longer.

Will I be ready to take the MEAL DPro Exam?

Yes. By the end of the course, you will be ready to do the MEAL DPro certification exam.lp.

How many days is the course?

You can do the course in as many days as you want over the four weeks. Some people prefer to reserve a block of time on one day. Others prefer 30 minutes in the morning and the same later in the day. There is no ‘best’ way to approach virtual learning. You will need to find something that works for you – and the facilitators are there to help.

Is the MEAL DPro Exam included in the cost of the course?

No. Fee levels are set by PM4NGOs and vary according to the type of organisation. More information can be provided on request.

Do I receive a certificate and the end of the course?

Everyone who completes the course will receive a certificate of attendance. Everyone who passes the MEAL DPro exam will also receive the MEAL DPro certification.

Can you conduct courses in languages other than English?

Yes. We can organize training in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic. If you have a need for another language, we may also be able to help. Please get in touch and we would be happy to discuss.

How much notice do you need to organise a course?

We run a schedule of open courses that is available on the website.  Organisations can contract to run a private course according to their schedule and need.

Do you run this course in-house?

We would be very happy to run this course in house and also to discuss your organisation’s learning needs.

Any organisation purchasing an in-house virtual course will also receive an extra day of consulting to help you plan next steps and implementation.

We have designed the MEAL DPro Online Course so that participants who wish to pursue certification will be able to successfully pass the certification exam assuming that:

  • they participate actively in the course
  • they extensively study the Guide to the MEAL DPro
  • they complete the preparatory activities found on the MEAL DPro certification website (see below.)

The certification was created by the PHAP Credentialing Program. You can find more information about the certification at the following website:  https://phap.org/cp-meal  (or click the image below)

The Core MEAL Certification / MEAL DPro is targeted at practitioners at all levels that wish to demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental aspects of MEAL systems and activities needed by all practitioners engaged in MEAL activities in humanitarian and development contexts. The Core MEAL Certification is designed for program and project management staff with MEAL-related responsibilities, as well as a first step for specialized MEAL staff pursuing the Advanced MEAL Certification.

Upcoming Courses

MEAL DPro Online Course – ENGLISH
June 5 – June 30, 2022
$100

MEAL DPro Online Course – ENGLISH
Sep. 4 – Sep. 29, 2023
$100

Contact Us

Let us know how we can help your organization do good, better.

Contact us at info(at)pyramidlearning.org