As the nonprofit sector encounters growing complexities, the demand for transparency has become increasingly important. During a NetHope fireside chat hosted by Vera Solutions, panelists from Catholic Relief Services (CRS), PATH, and Plan International shared their experiences with digitization of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) tools. Here are four key takeaways from their journeys.
1. Digitizing Management of Indicators and Frameworks
CRS adopted Amp Impact to enhance strategic measurement, focusing on 25 standard indicators across their projects and integrating with other systems to enhance their ability to visualize and report data consistently. Plan International’s country offices now set up projects and logframes in their Salesforce system with Amp Impact, improving project performance visibility and accountability. PATH launched Amp Impact in April 2022 with a phased approach, evolving to a standard set of 12 to 14 key indicators with detailed disaggregation.
2. Tips to Keep in Mind
PATH learned that minimizing perceived effort while maximizing perceived gains is crucial for effective adoption, introducing data visualizations and feedback loops early. Plan International implemented a shared access system, allowing teams to enter data in real time, improving efficiency and collaboration. CRS highlighted the importance of indicator ownership, tasking sector-specific stakeholders with reviewing and questioning identified metrics to ensure they were effective.
3. The Importance of Change Management and Stakeholder Engagement
A recurring theme across all organizations was the critical role of change management and stakeholder engagement. Securing buy-in from various stakeholders, including Program, MEL, and IT departments, is essential for successful system implementation. CRS highlighted the importance of executive endorsements in driving change, while Plan International emphasized integrating new systems with existing ones to provide a holistic view of project performance.
4. Overcoming Challenges and Moving Forward
Despite their successes, each organization acknowledged that digitization is an ongoing process. PATH noted the importance of distributing reporting workload throughout the year to reduce burden on project teams. CRS’ experience underscores the value of starting small and building on early successes. The journey towards digitization is complex, but the benefits of improved data centralization, standardization, and accessibility are clear with solutions like Amp Impact.
Why Choose Vera Solutions?
With over 14 years of experience working with nonprofits, Vera Solutions has been a leader in developing fundraising, portfolio and program management, impact measurement, and grant management solutions on the Salesforce Platform. Over $12 billion of programs, grants, and projects advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals are managed using Vera’s flagship product, Amp Impact.
We also offer a large pool of highly skilled and experienced Salesforce Consultants, with over 350 active Salesforce certifications, experience successfully delivering over 1,000 projects in the social sector, and more than 430 customers working in 150+ countries.