MEL and Reporting
The Reporting section helps teams maintain the records that support management decisions, stakeholder visibility, and formal reporting. Open Operations, then select Reporting.Reporting Section Areas
Reporting includes:- MEL dashboard
- MEL plan context
- Risks and blockers
- Stakeholder updates
- Reports
- Learning and adaptation decisions
MEL Plan Context
The MEL plan explains how monitoring, evaluation, and learning will happen for the project. It can include theory of change, learning questions, data sources, collection frequency, responsible role, reporting use, data quality approach, and evaluation plan. Use the MEL plan to confirm that indicators and reports are based on an agreed monitoring approach.MEL Dashboard
The MEL dashboard tracks indicators. An indicator is a measurable value that shows progress against a project objective. When creating an indicator, enter:| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Name | The measure being tracked |
| Baseline | Starting value before or at the beginning of implementation |
| Target | The planned target value |
| Actual | The current value reached |
| Data source | Where the indicator data comes from |
| Collection frequency | How often the data should be updated |
| Responsible role | Who owns the indicator update |
| Reporting use | How the indicator will be used in decisions or reports |
| Quality notes | Any data quality context users should know |
- Households surveyed
- Facilities assessed
- Community meetings completed
- Data records validated
Reading Indicator Values
ProjectDesk displays indicators as actual value against target value. For example,120 / 300 means 120 units have been recorded against a target of 300.
Use this view to see whether project progress is on track.
Risks and Blockers
Risks and blockers capture anything that could slow, distort, or prevent successful work. When creating a risk, enter:| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Title | The issue or concern |
| Severity | Low, medium, high, or critical |
- Low response rate in one district
- Delayed field travel approval
- Missing data from one location
- Stakeholder review taking longer than expected
Stakeholder Updates
Stakeholder updates are concise progress notes that can be shared with authorized viewers. Good stakeholder updates are:- Clear
- Brief
- Linked to real workspace progress
- Written in professional external-facing language
- Free of internal uncertainty unless the uncertainty is important for stakeholders to know
- “Baseline interviews have started in two of three districts.”
- “The first evidence review batch has been completed.”
- “One location requires follow-up due to low response volume.”
Reports
Reports are structured reporting records inside the workspace. Use reports to prepare:- Quarterly progress summaries
- Evidence packs
- Management updates
- Donor-facing summaries
- Audit support records
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Title | The name of the reporting record |
| Summary | A short description of what the report covers |
Reporting Good Practice
Keep reporting records current throughout the project. Do not wait until the end of a reporting period to reconstruct progress from memory. A healthy workspace has:- Current indicators
- Visible risks
- Recent stakeholder updates
- Reports tied to validated evidence
- Learning decisions that explain major adaptations
Learning and Adaptation Decisions
Use learning decisions when evidence, risks, or field feedback changes the implementation plan. A decision record should explain:- What evidence or issue triggered the decision
- What was decided
- What next step follows
- Whether the decision is open, in progress, or closed