Program Support Resources Initiative Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Plan
Program Support Resources Initiative – Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Plan
Broadly across all awards, we are looking for initiatives to include (as applicable) tracking of participants, changes in knowledge/competencies/skills and/or behaviors, utilization of equipment/supplies, and integration into the curriculum. Below is a table to help you think through your MEL plan, followed by a list of the categories with potential metrics and tools - please note that this is a general list and not all may be applicable to your award.
For any questions during proposal development and/or during the project itself, please contact: Libby Cunningham () or Clelia Anna Mannino ().
What, specifically, will you measure? / How will you measure it?(types of tools) / What is your data collection plan? (how often, who)
Tracking participants
Assessing changes in knowledge/ competencies/ skills and/or behaviors
Utilization of equipment/ supplies
Integration into the curriculum
Categories and Suggested Metrics/Tools:
Tracking participants
Potential metrics and tools include:
- For trainings
- Sign-in sheets to track the number of individuals trained.
Assessing changes in knowledge/competencies/skills and/or behaviors
Potential metrics and tools include:
- Quizzes to test knowledge of the topic, which can be given before and/or after a training.
- Post course/training evaluation to measure how much participants think there has been a change in knowledge/competencies/skills and confidence in utilizing the knowledge/competencies/skills, and/or attitudes on a given topic.
- Clinical/skills check-lists to conduct observed evaluations of someone’s ability to perform a certain set of tasks.
Please also include a follow-up plan to assess maintenance and/or utilization of knowledge/competencies/skills and any long-term behavior changes, if able. This could include administering the same post course/training evaluation or clinical check-list 3-6 months after the initial course/training.
Utilization of equipment/supplies - by whom, when, how often, etc.
Potential metrics and tools include:
- Sign-in and/or sign-out sheet to track date, faculty member(s), class taught, and students. Can be used for both large (non-mobile) items or simulation labs, and for mobile items used at the bedside, in the field, or in classroom demonstrations.
- Add one or more specific questions in a post course evaluation to ask about the specific equipment or skills lab in general. For example:
- Frequency
- How often did you attend the skills lab in this course?
- Never/Rarely/Occasionally/A moderate amount/A great deal
- Ability to access materials
- How easy was it to access the materials?
- Very difficult/Difficult/Neutral/Easy/Very Easy
- Value added to the curriculum
- How did [X] help your learning in this course?
- Not at all/Slightly/Somewhat/Very much/Extremely
Integration into the curriculum
Look for evidence that any equipment, supplies or trainings used to supplement a course have been integrated into the curriculum. For example:
- Syllabus is revised to explicitly integrate these elements.
- Syllabus is revised to include days in the simulation lab.
- Sign-in sheets from a simulation lab show that a faculty member and his/her students have utilized the simulation lab tied to course content.