First steps in monitoring, evaluation, and learning for a grassroots network of women migrant workers
2025
The challenge
Migrant workers engaged in informal and precarious work often rely on solidarity, mutual support, and collective organising to improve their living conditions and defend their rights. In this context, a grassroots network of women migrant workers from a particular sector came together to offer peer support, raise awareness, and advocate for change.
As the network grew and began seeking broader philanthropic support, it faced a key constraint in its limited ability to document, articulate, and demonstrate the impact of its work. Strengthening its capacity for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) became essential for future growth.
How we helped
We designed and facilitated a half-day, in-person capacity building workshop for network leaders. The workshop provided participants with a simple and commonsense conceptual framework to understand MEL: what MEL is, why it matters, and how it can help organisations grow and improve.
To make the content accessible and relevant, we linked MEL ideas to participants’ everyday experiences, using metaphors and stories to bring concepts to life. We focused on helping participants recognise the knowledge and skills they already have, which are a solid foundation to explore additional MEL resources and develop their skills further in the future.
The session was participatory and practical, with interpretation in multiple languages to support full inclusion. Activities encouraged dialogue, interaction and reflection, helping participants to connect MEL practices with their own organising work.
Looking forward
The workshop was warmly received by participants, as well as by other NGOs who support similar grassroots networks and observed the session. Since then, we’ve shared the training module on a pro bono basis with several of these organisations, who are now adapting it to strengthen MEL capacity in the groups they work with.
“I liked the way Lighthouse explained MEL. The working groups were very beneficial. Everybody had the chance to participate and brainstorm together.”
“It will help us improve our organizing approach and adopt better organizing methods.”