Concrete and Effective MEL Support
We help farmed and wild animal advocacy organisations build simple, well-fit MEL systems — from one-off questions to complete, long-term partnerships. Our support is free of charge and tailored to your organisation’s situation and capacity.
MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning) is a system of tools that help organisations track whether their work is making the difference they want it to, and improve based on what they find out.
Collaborative
We develop practical solutions together with your team, not for you.
Tailored
Every piece of support is designed around your organisation’s specific needs and capacity.
Impact-focused
We only collect meaningful data that drives better decisions for animals.
Let's find your starting point.
I have a specific MEL question
Maybe you need feedback on a draft theory of change, help choosing the right indicators, or just want to know where to begin. We can usually help in a single conversation.
Start with Tailored Micro Support →I need a specific piece of work done
Like a theory of change, a stakeholder analysis, or an evaluation of your program. We’ll work with you on a defined project with a clear output.
Learn about Standalone Design & Evaluation →I want to understand how well my organization is doing MEL
Maybe you are unsure about areas in which you can improve your organization's MEL system, and would like us to assess your current system.
Start with MEL System Assessment →I want to build a full MEL system
You want monitoring, evaluation, and learning to become part of how your organisation thinks and makes decisions, with a system that you can manage yourselves.
Learn about MEL System Support →Our Services
Our services are provided free of charge, supported by the generous donations of our funders.
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Got a specific MEL question? Reach out. No commitment, no lengthy process.
Who it’s for: Organisations with a focused, time-limited MEL question, whether you’re already working with us or this is your first time reaching out.
What happens: You fill out our expression of interest form or email support@themissionmotor.org. We’ll give you focused feedback, point you to the right resource, or help you figure out if you need something more in-depth. Most questions are resolved in a single conversation or email exchange.
What you get: Your question answered, a referral to a relevant resource or expert, or a recommendation for a next step if you need deeper support.
Timeframe: Usually resolved in one exchange.
Your time commitment: Less than one hour.
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Not sure where you stand with MEL? We’ll help you find out.
Who it’s for: Organisations unsure about their MEL needs, wanting a baseline before committing to deeper work, or looking for a clear starting point. Every MEL System Support engagement begins with a free Assessment.
What happens: We review your MEL system across thirteen key areas, from theory of change and data systems to leadership buy-in and staff skills, through a mix of structured review, conversation, and a written report.
What you get: A clear, written picture of your strengths, gaps, and options, plus a debrief conversation to unpack what it means. No obligation to take things further.
Timeframe: Approximately 2 to 3 weeks.
Your time commitment: Around 5 hours of your team’s time across meetings and review.
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Need a specific piece of program design work? We’ll build it with you.
Who it’s for: Organisations needing a defined deliverable — a theory of change (a map of how your activities lead to the changes you want), a stakeholder analysis (understanding who is affected by or has influence over your work), a needs assessment (a check on what your audience actually needs), or an evidence review (a structured look at what existing research says about an approach) — without signing up for a long-term engagement.
What happens: We work collaboratively with your team to deliver a specific design product. This is focused, intensive work. Most engagements take place over the course of roughly one week. Sessions are typically conducted via video call, with collaborative work on shared documents between sessions.
What you get: A completed deliverable. For example: a visual theory of change with supporting narrative, a stakeholder map, or a needs assessment report.
Timeframe: Approximately one week of intensive collaboration.
Your time commitment: 5 to 10 hours of your team’s time over the course of the week.
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Want to know if your program is working and why? We can help you find out.
Who it’s for: Organisations wanting to evaluate a program’s effectiveness, whether you have an existing MEL system or not.
What happens: We help you plan and carry out an evaluation, or find and manage the right external evaluator for your needs. We handle everything from assessing whether your program is ready to be evaluated, through to design, data collection oversight, and reporting. We work with you and your funders to make evaluation feasible.
What you get: Evaluation findings and recommendations, delivered as a report with a debrief to discuss implications and next steps.
Timeframe: 3 to 12+ months depending on evaluation type and scope.
Your time commitment: This varies greatly depending on the evaluation, but we can scale the scope to your capacity.
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Our most comprehensive offering: a long-term partnership to build MEL into how your organisation works.
Who it’s for: You’ll get the most out of MEL System Support if: at least one staff member can commit around 1–2 hours per week; your leadership is on board with acting on what you learn; and you’ve been running at least one program for six months or more. If one of these isn’t true yet, we’d still love to hear from you — a different service is probably the right starting point.
What happens: A dedicated advisor works alongside your team over the course of months to years. Together you develop your theory of change, design your monitoring framework (a plan for what to track, how often, and why), establish data collection and analysis practices, and build the internal skills and culture so MEL becomes part of how your organisation thinks and makes decisions, unlocking a way to continually improve the effectiveness of your work.
What you get: A functioning MEL system your team owns and can sustain: from theory of change through data collection, analysis, and evidence-informed decision-making. Plus the skills and culture to keep it going after our partnership ends.
Timeframe: Typically 3 to 12+ months.
Your time commitment: 1 to 2 hours per week for the duration of the partnership.
Please note: Every MEL System Support engagement begins with a free MEL System Assessment — so we spend the first few weeks understanding your organisation instead of assuming.
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Strengthening how MEL is understood and used across the farmed animal advocacy movement.
Who it’s for: Funders looking to better evaluate grantee impact, and sector-shaping organisations (incubators, research groups, capacity-builders) whose work influences how others approach MEL.
What happens: We work proactively with funders and sector-shaping organisations to strengthen MEL practices across the movement. This might include helping you understand what quality MEL data looks like, developing tools for assessing grantee impact, or co-creating resources like funding-proposal templates and decision frameworks. Each engagement is tailored to your role and influence in the sector.
What you get: Improved ability to evaluate and encourage effective MEL practices among the organisations you fund or support. Concrete tools and frameworks where relevant.
Timeframe: Ongoing, tailored to each relationship.
Your time commitment: Variable, tailored to each engagement.
If your organisation needs its own internal MEL system, we can help with that too. See MEL System Support above.
Ready to get started? Or just want to talk it through?
Whether you know exactly what you need or you’re still figuring it out, we’d love to hear from you. Fill in our short expression of interest form and we’ll be in touch.
