Ethical Principles in MEAL Practices

In Kabul, a MEAL officer conducts interviews with children in a school without obtaining prior consent from their guardians. Which ethical principle is being violated?

• Data validity

• Gender sensitivity

• Informed consent

• Financial transparency

In a nutrition project in Nangarhar, a community feedback form includes personal identifiers like names and phone numbers but is not securely stored. What ethical concern arises?

• Low response rates

• Inaccurate data collection

• Breach of confidentiality

• Misuse of indicators

In Herat, an evaluator shares project photos of women beneficiaries without their permission on social media. What ethical principle is breached?

• Lack of translation

• Informed consent and privacy

• Data duplication

• Performance monitoring

In Kandahar, the MEAL team is pressured to modify survey results to please the donor. What should the MEAL officer do?

• Adjust the data to match expectations

• Reject the data and start over

• Escalate the concern following the organization’s ethics policy

• Ignore the pressure and stay silent

While conducting focus group discussions in Badakhshan, a MEAL staff member notices that some women are uncomfortable answering sensitive questions. What should they do?

• Continue the discussion as planned

• Record the session without asking

• Pause and assess the appropriateness of the topic

• Replace them with more responsive participants

In a project in Balkh, community members feel that MEAL surveys are conducted repeatedly without ever seeing results. What ethical principle is lacking?

• Community ownership

• Transparency and respect

• Budget compliance

• Double-blind research

During data collection in Ghazni, enumerators offer small financial incentives to get faster responses. What is the ethical risk involved?

• Delays in reporting

• Compromised data accuracy

• Coercion and biased responses

• Higher operational costs