From Theory to Practice
Strengthening monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems for nature-based solutions for climate adaptation
For protected area managers and conservation practitioners, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems are central to understanding and communicating the impacts of nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation and biodiversity. This briefing note presents two practical ways that conservation practitioners and managers can strengthen their MEL systems, with a focus on qualitative data.
Recommendations
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Start your MEL system with a strong theory of change to articulate how NbS are expected to contribute to ecological and social outcomes and enable project learnings across different landscapes.
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Complement quantitative data with qualitative data to strengthen the evidence of changes in stakeholder knowledge and awareness.
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Likert-scale surveys are a useful tool in understanding changes in attitudes and behaviours, especially if they are measured continuously over time.
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Stories of change and outcome harvesting provide an excellent data source to capture diverse perspectives of stakeholders and unintended impacts as a result of project activities.
For protected area managers and conservation practitioners, MEL systems are essential for understanding, demonstrating, and communicating how NbS contribute to climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and social outcomes. While quantitative indicators can help track changes over time, qualitative evidence is particularly valuable for understanding how and why change occurs, including changes in attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours.
This briefing note presents two practical approaches that conservation practitioners implementing NbS can use to strengthen their MEL systems through the collection and analysis of qualitative data. This qualitative evidence can support learning and adaptive management while providing a meaningful understanding of NbS contributions to climate resilience, biodiversity, and their social outcomes.
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