Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning | A Guide for NHRIs in the Asia Pacific Module 3: Developing your MEAL Plan Section 3.7. Deciding how you will report and to whom The last stage of the MEAL plan describes how and to whom the data results will be communicated. Effectively reporting on your MEAL activities is central to the ‘Accountability’ component of the MEAL process. Throughout the implementation of your MEAL Plan, you will have sought the views of those who have a stake in the situation or issue and ensured that their views have been considered. Once the data has been analysed and the results are known, it is important to communicate these results to those who have been involved in the MEAL and to those who are interested in it, such as the communities with which you work, funders, partners, government officials and potentially the media. The benefits of MEAL are highlighted in Section 1.2 of this Guide. However, these benefits are contingent upon how effectively you communicate your MEAL results. When to write a MEAL report The timing of your MEAL report can depend on the size and scale of the activity, project or programme. The timing of your reporting may also be determined by factors external to the activity/project or the programme itself. For example, your MEAL results could contribute to your NHRI strategic planning and reporting processes, or you may have to meet reporting formats and timelines required by a funding partner. There are several considerations to make when deciding how often to report: • Scope of your activity, project, or programme: if it is short and succinct (e.g. a year-long professional development programme) then an end-of-activity report is enough. However, if the activity is large, or extends over a longer period (e.g. a three-year national inquiry), you may want to write a baseline report, progress report as well as an end report. • Your accountabilities: it is good practice to regularly update participants and/or key stakeholders at appropriate times to promote transparency and good communication. This could include sending out newsletters, publishing a dashboard, or preparing and distributing more formal reports. A funding agreement may stipulate that reports are to be received at certain times. • When you are seeking feedback: there may be a phase, or element of the activity, project or programme that would benefit from having participant and stakeholder input. You can disseminate an interim report, or a draft report, seeking specific feedback. A baseline report highlights the results from the data you collected and analysed about a situation prior to an intervention or activity. It gives you the information you need to plan inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes by: • highlighting relevant data and analysis about the issue, • identifying the key human rights considerations, • identifying who is impacted by it, • identifying the other key stakeholders and actors. A progress report covers the monitoring stage of your MEAL Plan. You will report on: • the progress you are making toward achieving your outcomes, • what you are learning about what is working well and what is not working well, and why, • what changes you may need to make to your activity, project or programme in order to improve progress. 72