Section 1.1. What is MEAL? The goal of monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) is to understand, demonstrate and improve the impact of your NHRI’s work. MEAL involves: • Monitoring: tracking the progress of your work. • Evaluating: assessing what does and does not work, for whom and in what circumstances. • Accountability: listening to the views of communities and stakeholders, accurately reflecting those views in your reporting, feeding back to communities and stakeholders and meeting your obligations for reporting. • Learning: reflecting on your work and making improvements based on the knowledge you acquire through time and experience. This Guide includes an expanded concept of monitoring and evaluation. ‘Accountability’ reflects more accurately the ethos of an NHRI which aims to be the human rights mouthpiece for its communities. ‘Learning’ recognises that NHRIs continually reflect on the effectiveness of what they do and seek to improve their performance. 11