Monitoring, Evaluation,

Reporting & Improvement

MERI

Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement (MERI)

What is MERI?

MERI is the framework for assessing how well Mimal is tracking towards its vision for healthy country, people and culture through implementing the Healthy Country Plan.

MERI is:

  • Monitoring: Gathering information on our work and its results. For example: Hours spent doing early-season burning; number of feral animals removed; the cleanliness of river water; number of young people engaged in cultural learning with elders. 

  • Evaluation: Looking at the information to get answers on how our work is progressing and how it has changed country, people and culture – how are projects tracking? What are the results of our work? What are the lessons learned?

  • Reporting: Sharing the story of what work has been done and what has changed 

  • Improvement: Using the story to adapt our work to achieve the best possible results from Mimal projects and towards the overall vision

 

MERI is essential for Mimal

MERI is essential for Mimal and its stakeholders to know how our land management activities, caring for country practices and projects with partners are tracking and how successfully we are achieving outcomes. MERI informs decision making and supports continuous improvement of Mimal’s work and results. Meaningful indicators that tell us how we are tracking towards our healthy country goals need to be cross-cultural, drawing on local knowledge and science to build up that monitoring and evaluation story.    

MERI is also important for demonstrating the impact of our work to donors and partners, and for providing accountability and transparency about project progress and outcomes.

Who is involved in MERI?

Rangers, staff and partners collect the MERI information that is used to build the story of the work being done and the outcomes of our work. 

The MERI sub-committee sits under the Mimal board of directors and meets regularly to look at the monitoring information, understand the stories, and make recommendations for improvement. 

The Mimal board of directors hear the story about the work being done and the outcomes of our work to inform their decision making about Mimal’s future work.

Staff, MERI Committee members and Mimal Board directors share the stories about our work with Mimal landowners, members, community and our partners through community nights, Mimal social media, conferences and other communication channels. 

MERI is walking and talking with Country, practicing culture alongside land management.   

For more information, contact Mimal’s MERI and Program Manager: meri@mimal.org.au