MERL Tech is a term for digital tools and approaches that enable monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL). The term also describes the wider field of work at the intersection of technology and MERL.
The MERL Tech Initiative (MTI) and its core collaborators work with social sector organizations to achieve thoughtful tech-enabled program design, implementation, and MERL.
We convene communities of practice to share learning and advance responsible, ethical, realistic digital approaches that center people, communities and societies. We advocate for a strong focus on equity, justice and avoiding harm. Learn more about our work!
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Anthropic’s announcement in August that they would add an invisible digital watermark to any content and metadata generated by their AI sparked quite a bit of debate, including in the MERL sector. Would this solve any of the fake “AI slop” content issues? Would this mean that those who use AI would be judged or […]
The MERL Tech Community of Practice is proud to host the online launch of “From Algorithms to Evidence: Using GenAI in Evaluation Practice”, a new book edited by Kerry Bruce, Valentine J Gandhi, and Steffen Bohni Nielsen. Join us on November 04, at 12pm New York/5pm London.
On November 5th, 2026, the Gender, MERL, and AI Learning Group at the MERL Tech CoP will welcome Dr. Becky Faith for a conversation about her new working paper, “Digital Backlash: Manifestations and Resistance”, co-authored with Antea de Jesus Gomes and Raisa Philip.
