Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Activity   3

USAID's current strategy focuses on supporting the Government of Colombia (GOC)'s capacity to implement a sustainable and inclusive peace. USAID's work with the GOC, civil society, and the private sector focuses on achieving more inclusive and equitable socio-economic development in prioritized rural parts of the country that are conflict-ridden, poor and institutionally weak. The current USAID 2014-2019 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) seeks to support an effective presence of democratic institutions and processes in targeted areas; advance reconciliation among victims, ex-combatants and other citizens; foster improved conditions for inclusive, rural economic growth; and strengthen environmental resiliency and low-emissions development.

The purpose of this Activity is to provide USAID/Colombia with technical and advisory Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) services for USAID/Colombia projects and activities. This includes monitoring support services; evaluations, studies, assessments; GIS mapping and analysis; and collaborating, learning and adapting activities. These services are needed by USAID to create, facilitate, and strengthen informed program management decisions and shape the long-term strategic direction of the Mission's programs and comply with ADS 201 and USAID's Evaluation Policy.

The expected result of this contract is to enhance the Mission's MEL capability and to ensure empirical evidence for programming, learning, and adapting. Through the MEL services provided, USAID/Colombia will apply evidence-based knowledge and analysis to improve its development outcomes and ensure accountability for the resources used to achieve them. USAID/Colombia also expects to rely on the best currently available information to rigorously and credibly make choices, plan effectively, manage adaptively, and learn systematically.

Success will be achieved when high-quality evaluations, assessments, analyses, monitoring support, data, and learning services are completed and effectively used to inform program management decisions and shape the longer-term strategic direction of programs and decision-making within the Mission. Results may also be used by the broader USAID community and/or other stakeholders in Colombia and beyond.