On January 23, 2020, Banyan Global participated in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning’s Office of Learning, Evaluation and Research’s (PPL/LER) internal learning series on its flagship monitoring and evaluation indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, EVAL ME. The purpose of the EVAL ME learning series is to strengthen the capacity of the agency in integrating gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) across future monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) programming and activities. Banyan Global’s MEL specialist, Tanya Hurst, and senior associate for gender and youth, Dina Scippa, facilitated a brown bag, reflecting on Banyan Global’s implementation of the EVAL ME IDIQ activities to highlight our approaches to promoting GESI in MEL programming and the subsequent learning generated by these approaches.

A core element of Banyan Global’s DNA is the integration of GESI across all programming. At Banyan Global, we believe that evidence serves as the foundation for successful gender-transformative project design, offers guidance for course corrections to ensure more equitable outcomes, and should be disseminated widely to offer lessons for more inclusive and impactful programming. Under the EVAL ME IDIQ, Banyan Global developed the GESI–Evaluation framework and corresponding tools to strengthen the integration of GESI in MEL, resulting in the design and implementation of MEL programming that empowers women, youth, and marginalized groups. MEL offer a unique opportunity to determine to what extent USAID programming is catalyzing positive changes and sustainable outcomes for all, and for society more broadly.