The bustling city of Hanoi recently played host to a gathering of peacebuilders from around the world, united by a common goal: to explore and deepen the impact of locally led peacebuilding.
The convening centred around Peace Direct’s Local Action Fund (LAF)* – a flexible and innovative funding mechanism co-created with Peace Direct’s local partners in 2019. Peace Direct’s local partners in multiple countries lead the LAF programme in their own contexts, acting as hub organisations which support grassroots peacebuilding through sub-granting and accompaniment. Several of these partners came together to learn, share insights and discuss experiences with each other, Peace Direct’s staff and the Learning and Monitoring Research Group (LMRG).**
This convening provided a unique opportunity for all attendees to connect and collectively reflect on the journey towards decolonising Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) in peacebuilding.
At the exchange, the LMRG met to discuss progress towards this goal and begin to develop guidance for local partners and INGOs. These side sessions were particularly enriching. The space created for open dialogue allowed us to delve into our own positionality within the broader peacebuilding landscape, grappling with the lingering legacies of colonialism. We shared personal stories, challenges, and inspirations, forging connections that transcended geographical boundaries.
This process of relationship-building laid a crucial foundation for our collective endeavour to co-create and contribute to Peace Direct’s and LAF partners’ work on decolonial MEL.
Reflecting on the week, several key takeaways resonated deeply:
Particularly striking is the maturing understanding of the Doing, Monitoring, Evaluating, and Learning (DMEL) methodology among the local partners. Their presentations and an evaluation summary on the impact of LAF revealed a growing awareness of the nuances inherent in peacebuilding. Key themes emerged, including the intricate link between livelihoods and peace, and the critical need to ensure definitions of violence, peace, and advocacy are contextualised within local realities. This underscored the power of DMEL as a framework that not only facilitates learning for practitioners but also generates valuable insights that can influence donors and policymakers.
1: Embracing complexity and lived experiences
The LAF hubs operate within complex systems, navigating intricate social, political, and economic dynamics. Their experiences highlight the importance of viewing peace not merely as the absence of violence, but as a holistic and lived experience, encompassing aspects of justice, equity, and well-being. This perspective necessitates a shift in MEL practices, moving beyond simplistic indicators to capture the multifaceted nature of peace.
2: Recognising MEL as a tool for advocacy and mobilisation
MEL is often relegated to a technical function, focused on measuring outputs and proving impact. However, the LAF experience demonstrates the transformative potential of MEL when it is embraced as a tool for advocacy and mobilisation. By documenting and analysing the impact of locally led peacebuilding initiatives, LAF hubs are generating evidence that can be used to influence policy, challenge dominant narratives, and amplify the voices of local communities.
3: Confronting colonial legacies and power dynamics
Decolonising MEL requires a critical examination of the power dynamics inherent in peacebuilding. This involves acknowledging the ways in which colonial structures and mindsets continue to shape our approaches to knowledge production, evaluation, and learning. The LMRG discussions in Hanoi provided a safe space to confront these uncomfortable truths, prompting us to reflect on our own biases and complicity in perpetuating systems of oppression.
4: The importance of contextualisation and meaning-making
The LAF hubs emphasised the importance of contextualising peacebuilding interventions and MEL frameworks. What constitutes ‘success’ in one context may not be applicable in another. This requires a nuanced understanding of local cultures, power structures, and historical narratives. Furthermore, MEL should not be limited to data collection and analysis; it should also facilitate a process of meaning-making, allowing communities to interpret their own experiences and define their own indicators of progress.
5: Building trust and solidarity
The LAF exchange and LMRG meetings highlighted the importance of building trust and solidarity among peacebuilders. This involves creating spaces for open communication, active listening, and mutual respect. It also requires a commitment to sharing power and resources, ensuring that local communities have ownership and control over their own peacebuilding processes.
The LMRG together in Hanoi.
Conclusion
The journey towards decolonising MEL is ongoing and requires continuous reflection, learning, and adaptation. The LAF experience provides valuable lessons and inspiration for this endeavour. By embracing complexity, prioritising lived experiences, and challenging power imbalances, we can create MEL practices that are truly responsive to the needs and aspirations of local communities.
As we move forward, it is crucial to remember that decolonising MEL is not merely a technical exercise; it is an apolitical act that challenges the status quo and seeks to create a more just and equitable world. It is a labour of love, driven by a deep commitment to supporting locally led peacebuilding and amplifying the voices of those most affected by conflict.
* The Local Action Fund is a flexible funding Peace Direct’s partners supported through LAF operate in various conflict-affected countries.
** The LMRG is a group of individual independent experts from across Peace Direct’s network who have come together to strengthen and progress work towards a locally led system of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). The group acts as a consultative space, providing strategic input and guidance for Peace Direct’s MEL development and implementation. The reference group provides advice, guidance, and training to staff and Peace Direct’s network of partners as needed to ensure that Peace Direct’s current MEL approach is best able to support the work of its partners, and effectively change the traditional MEL system towards one that champions impact and learning.
