MERL Tech DC conferences typically bring together 300 practitioners from across the development ecosystem for a two- to three-day conference seeking to turn the theories of MERL technology into effective practice that delivers real insight and learning in our sector. MERL Tech in DC ran from 2014 through 2019 and is currently in hiatus due to pandemic-era restrictions on face-to-face gatherings.

MERL Tech DC

Digital data and new media and information technologies are changing monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL). The past five years have seen technology-enabled MERL growing by leaps and bounds. We’re also seeing greater awareness and concern for digital data privacy and security coming into our work.

The field is in constant flux with emerging methods, tools and approaches, such as:

• Adaptive management and developmental evaluation
• Faster, higher quality data collection
• Remote data gathering through sensors and self-reporting by mobile
• Big data, data science, and social media analytics
• Story-triggered methodologies

Alongside these new initiatives, we are seeing increasing documentation and assessment of technology-enabled MERL initiatives. Good practice guidelines are emerging and agency-level efforts are making new initiatives easier to start, build on and improve.

The swarm of ethical questions related to these new methods and approaches has spurred greater attention to areas such as responsible data practice and the development of policies, guidelines and minimum ethical standards for digital data.

Championing the above is a growing and diversifying community of MERL practitioners, assembling from a variety of fields; hailing from a range of starting points; espousing different core frameworks and methodological approaches; and representing innovative field implementers, independent evaluators, and those at HQ that drive and promote institutional policy and practice

The 2019 agenda below is indicative of the kinds of topics and speakers that you will generally find at MERL Tech DC.

View the MERL Tech DC 2019 schedule & directory.