Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning | A Guide for NHRIs in the Asia Pacific Module 2: Developing your MEAL Framework Section 2.4. Defining inputs, activities and outputs Indicators Baselines Targets Outcomes Inputs Activities Outputs MEAL Framework Problem/ issue Dependencies Assumptions Data types and sources Questions Once you have defined your short, medium and long-term outcomes, it is time to identify your inputs, activities and outputs so you can fill out the rest of your MEAL Framework. There are no standard definitions of inputs, activities and outputs. For the purposes of this Guide, they are defined as: • Inputs: your NHRI’s staff, financial, physical and technical resources. (e.g. ‘NHRI staff knowledge and time, donor funding, working relationships with local policy makers.) • Activities: what your NHRI does with those inputs, such as actions, processes, events, tools, meetings and training sessions. (e.g. Drafting a report of the National Inquiry into Family Violence.) • Outputs: the immediate result of your activity. (e.g. Report of the National Inquiry into Family Violence is published and disseminated.) Make sure your inputs, activities and outputs lead or contribute to your short/medium-term outcomes. There is no set process for doing this. This Guide proposes you fill out the remainder of your MEAL Framework in the order that makes the most sense to you. It may mean going back and forth between the different levels; just ensure there is a logical flow between each level. Some guides propose organisations start with the long-term outcomes, move on to short and medium-term outcomes, then on to outputs, activities and inputs, while other guides propose starting at the activity level and going the other way. However, following a strict linear process is often difficult to do in practice. NHRIs have a fixed set of inputs—such as financial resources and staff—which means inserting “inputs” last will not be feasible. Filling out the middle part of the MEAL Framework is often the trickiest (e.g. how the immediate outputs of an activity influences outcomes in the short, medium and long-term). Try to brainstorm or workshop the MEAL Framework with colleagues and/or have them review it to ensure the different levels link up.9 36