Systems Monitoring, Learning & Evaluation (SMLE) Initiative

Systems Monitoring, Learning & Evaluation (SMLE)

The Systems Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation (SMLE) initiative was launched by UNDP in 2023, with support from the Gates Foundation, to rethink how monitoring, learning, and evaluation (MEL) can better be used to address complex challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss.

Systems MEL adds a systems lens to existing MEL practice—helping practitioners see interconnections, adapt faster, and stay focused on long-term transformation goals. It enables teams to align diverse actors around a shared vision, track deeper shifts like trust and collaboration, and identify high-leverage entry points for systemic change.

After three years of field learning and curated resources, the initiative has accelerated the shift toward a “next practice” in MEL: promoting the adoption of Systems MEL across projects, programs, and portfolios to embed systems thinking and enable more adaptive, evidence-driven decisions.

Key results include:

1- MEL 360 and its Food Systems Toolkit were developed as practitioner-focused resources, and they are gaining increasing recognition as a practical bridge towards systems-informed in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL).

In just 2.5 weeks, the guidance attracted over 2,000 visitors.
The launch events brought together 290 participants from more than 170 organizations across 60+ countries.
271 practitioners from 68 countries participated in the first Training Series, with 91% rating the content as very relevant.

MEL 360: A practical guide on how to integrate systems-informed monitoring, learning, and evaluation—Systems MEL—into social projects, programs, and portfolios. It was co-created with more than 160 practitioners from 70 organizations.

2- The MEL Sandbox has rapidly grown into an active community, encouraging practitioners to adopt more learning-led and systems thinking approaches in monitoring, evaluation, and learning.

Grew from 400 in 2022 to 3,080+ members across 90+ organizations.
1,918 practitioners engaged in events over two years, with 70–100 participants per session.

MEL Sandbox: An active community of funders and practitioners where new and evolving Systems MEL practices are shared and candidly discussed and debated.

The following testimonial video shows how Systems Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) is helping projects and organizations better understand and transform complex systems. Drawing on pilot experiences in Peru and Kenya, with insights from Manuel Champa (UNDP Peru) and Hafsah Jumare (CoAmana), the video highlights key lessons, challenges, and the added value of adopting a systems approach to monitoring, evaluation, and learning.