Social Development Direct is a supplier of integrated Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) and Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) expertise.
We combine a feminist approach with our know-how across all dimensions of MEL and GEDSI insights across all our thematic portfolios to contribute to a gendered evidence base.
To promote and practice locally led, participatory, feminist and inclusive MEL, contributing to and advocating for the use of a stronger evidence base on GEDSI.
We specialise in applying feminist and participatory approaches to generate and use GEDSI knowledge and evidence. We partner with governments, the private sector and civil society to co-create MEL systems and evidence generation activities, providing context-specific insights to improve policies, programmes, and services.
We provide tailored services across the policy cycle, including:
Monitoring, evaluation, and learning: Developing and implementing inclusive and participatory MEL systems for adaptive management of programming and policy work, aiming to enhance GEDSI.
Evaluation and research: Designing and implementing feminist and participatory mixed-methods evaluations to help clients assess the effectiveness of their GEDSI-related policies, programmes, or research.
Fund, Portfolio and system level MEL: Providing GEDSI, safeguarding and thematic expertise to MEL systems at the Fund or Portfolio level, contributing to the generation of relevant GEDSI evidence to strengthen GEDSI in programming and policy.
Our MEL work is rooted in co-creation and co-ownership, engaging and including locally based experts and people with lived experience of the issues at stake, as well as their representative organisations.
We deliver MEL work based on rigorous social, gender and inclusion analysis to measure transformational outcomes such as empowerment, accountability, institutional change, collective action, enhanced social capital and greater inclusion. We develop and deliver safe, ethical MEL frameworks for complex programmes. We carry out qualitative or mixed-methods evaluations (in local, multi-country or global settings) and provide design, facilitation and technical support to inclusive learning partnerships and platforms.
Our team of in-house experts, in collaboration with our global network of Associates and specialist advisors, provides expertise in inclusive, participatory MEL approaches and methodologies across SDDirect’s thematic areas of focus. Our approach is grounded in feminist principles and intersectional analysis. We collaborate with clients and partners to co-create bespoke approaches, selecting the right mix of methodologies to respond to specific needs and context, in line with key MEL objectives and questions. Our work is used to inform decision-making by a range of clients (multilateral organisations, donor agencies, governments, foundations, and civil society organisations) on issues relating to policy, programme design and implementation, levels of investment and performance management.
Our in house experts
Alix Clark, Head of Portfolio
Formative Evaluation of UNICEF’s Gender Transformative Programming through Investment in Adolescent Girls’ Leadership: Feminist mixed-methods evaluation covering 21 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, based on SDDirect Gender Equality and Social Inclusion framework, involving peer-to-peer data collection by adolescents.
Transforming programming: Evaluation of the implementation of the UNICEF Gender Policy and Gender Action Plans (GAP 2 and GAP 3): Assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of, and results achieved by, UNICEF’s Gender Policy (2021–2030) and the Gender Action Plans (GAP 2: 2018–2021, GAP 3: 2022–2025)
This formative evaluation examines how current programmes and investment in adolescent girls’ leadership are shaping UNICEF’s gender transformative programming (GTP) approach in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR).
Katy Bobin is a Senior Technical Specialist at SDDirect, providing Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning expertise to the Resource and Support Hub (RSH).
Valeria joined SDDirect in March 2024 as a Technical Specialist in the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) portfolio.
Nilanjana currently serves as a Technical Specialist for Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) and Research and sits within the MEL unit at SDDirect.
This week is Youth in Evaluation week.
Unlike most other VAWG initatives, the programme aimed to tackle both intimate partner violence (IPV) as well as violence experienced by women and girls in public spaces. The programme sought to do so through targeted interventions with women's self-help groups (SHGs) and work with men and boys. This was a complex evaluation into highly sensitive issues and as such, it needed a highly specialist team of VAWG and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) experts.
Our team developed an evaluation design with two integrated components:
Lucia is a Senior Technical Specialist in Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) and Research.
SDDirect together with a local research partner, Forcier, were contracted by the World Bank Kenya to undertake a gender-based service (GBV) service gap analysis in four counties (Bomet, Kisumu, Kitui and Kwale). The overall objectives of the study were to:
