This research was undertaken part of a capstone project from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, from December 2015 to May 2016. A capstone project is a culminating experience for students at the end of their graduate program to integrate knowledge from their courses, gain insight into professional practice, and reflect on the norms of a discipline or profession. Students learn by practicing skills, through client feedback, and from self and team recursive practice.
The capstone team that conducted this research is made up of two students from the Master of Development Practice (MDP) program, Christina Field, Maria Victoria Punay; and one student from the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program, Anika Walz. The research team sought input from international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) seen as leaders in their field for their work in M&E. The goal was to identify what are prevalent and good practices in M&E systems in humanitarian aid and international assistance. To get a deep understanding, with good, detailed qualitative information the team set out to do semi-structured interviews via skype. A list of INGOs was developed from lists of grantees of donor agencies, from Devex’s list of top employers, and from the professional networks of the research team, and the faculty adviser.
