MEAL - Pre Test

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is working on a project in the western provinces of Afghanistan to provide education for internally displaced children. As part of the project’s monitoring plan, NRC’s MEAL team wants to ensure they have effective feedback and response mechanisms in place to engage with beneficiaries. What is the best course of action for NRC to implement a feedback mechanism in this context?

• Provide a suggestion box in the main office and encourage beneficiaries to visit when possible.

• Conduct quarterly community meetings and provide a toll-free hotline for complaints and feedback.

• Collect feedback only at the end of the project cycle through interviews.

• Utilize social media platforms to collect feedback from all stakeholders.

Answer explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Providing a toll-free hotline and conducting quarterly community meetings ensures that the feedback and response mechanism is accessible, continuous, and allows NRC to respond to beneficiaries' concerns in a timely manner.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is implementing a livelihood project for women in rural Afghanistan. Midway through the project, DRC realizes that some activities are not meeting the expected outcomes. The MEAL team is asked to conduct an assessment. Which of the following MEAL principles should guide DRC’s next steps?

• Terminate the project since outcomes are not being met.

• Adjust activities and methods based on the learning gained from the assessment.

• Continue with the original activities until the project ends.

• Assign blame to the staff members responsible for the underperformance.

Answer explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: MEAL emphasizes adaptive management and learning. Adjusting activities and methods based on findings ensures that the project remains relevant and effective in achieving its goals.

Save the Children is running a health project in the northern regions of Afghanistan. They have gathered quantitative data showing a decrease in child malnutrition rates. However, the community is still expressing concerns about malnutrition. What should Save the Children do next to gain a complete understanding of the situation?

• Ignore the community feedback since the data shows improvement.

• Gather qualitative data to understand the community's perceptions and concerns.

• Extend the project timeline without making any changes.

• Revisit the quantitative data for errors and discrepancies.

Answer explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: While quantitative data can show trends, qualitative data helps understand the reasons behind those trends. Gathering qualitative data will provide insights into why community concerns persist despite improvements in the malnutrition rates.

UNDP is implementing a WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) project in Afghanistan. The project initially assumed that community members would be willing to participate in regular hygiene training sessions. However, attendance has been low. What should the MEAL team at UNDP do to address this issue?

• Ignore the low attendance and continue as planned.

• Punish community members for not attending.

• Investigate the reasons for low attendance and adapt the training methods accordingly.

• Assume that hygiene knowledge is not important to the community.

Answer explanation

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: MEAL principles advocate for participation and adaptability. Understanding the reasons behind low attendance allows UNDP to adapt the training methods and ensure they meet the community’s needs effectively

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is conducting an evaluation of its livelihood project for Afghan returnees. They have observed that certain indicators are not showing expected changes, and they suspect this may be due to incorrect assumptions made during project design. What should IRC do according to the MEAL phase model?

• Ignore the discrepancies and complete the evaluation.

• Revisit the project's theory of change and adjust assumptions as needed.

• Collect more data to validate the existing assumptions.

• Focus only on successful indicators to highlight project achievements.

Answer explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Revisiting and adjusting the theory of change ensures that the project remains relevant and that incorrect assumptions do not hinder the achievement of desired outcomes

UNHCR is implementing a shelter project for Afghan refugees in eastern Afghanistan. To track progress, they are considering using both quantitative and qualitative indicators. Which of the following is an example of a qualitative indicator for this project?

• The number of shelters constructed by the end of the project.

• The percentage of refugees reporting satisfaction with the quality of the shelters.

• The average cost per shelter constructed.

• The percentage of shelters built within the planned timeframe.

Answer explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: A qualitative indicator measures perceptions, opinions, and attitudes, such as the satisfaction levels of the beneficiaries

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is working on a project to improve access to clean water in rural communities. The MEAL team has been tasked with ensuring that the project’s monitoring data is accurate and reliable. Which of the following strategies should the MEAL team adopt to ensure data quality?

• Rely solely on data collected by project staff without verification.

• Conduct regular data quality assessments and provide training on data collection methods.

• Collect data only once at the beginning of the project.

• Focus on collecting as much data as possible, regardless of its quality.

Answer explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Regular data quality assessments and training on data collection methods help ensure that the data collected is accurate, reliable, and valid for decision-making.

These questions and explanations help provide practical insights into MEAL concepts, ensuring that participants understand how to apply MEAL principles in real-life situations within the Afghanistan NGO sector