Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning – MEAL

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system

The SUN Movement theory of change is based on the belief that when multiple stakeholders from multiple sectors and at multiple levels work together, in a country-led force, we will achieve results. Assessing progress towards the Movement’s objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals for a world without hunger and malnutrition, to this end, requires the alignment of globally agreed monitoring frameworks and initiatives. The MEAL system is the means for measuring the extent to which the SUN Movement is achieving results and impact.

Latest  Resources

MEAL Baseline Key Findings
(March 2018)

English | Français | Español

MEAL Focus Area Brief:
Multiple forms of malnutrition

English | Français | Español

MEAL Focus Area Brief:
Adolescent girls and women 

English | Français | Español

MEAL Focus Area Brief:
Humanitarian contexts

English | Français | Español

Country Dashboards

MEAL country dashboards are designed to support SUN Movement stakeholders at national, regional and global levels to assess progress, using a standard set of indicators that cover the eight domains of the Theory of Change. These dashboards aim to identify patterns in performance and inform strategic decisions towards no malnutrition in SUN countries. They are adaptable for use at the sub-national level and can be complemented by additional indicators – based on the availability of data.

– The Country Dashboard Guidance Note, which provides information on how to use the dashboards, can be found here:  English | Français | Español

– An all SUN Countries Dashboard compares all MEAL indicators for all countries, with an overview of the Performance by Country: English (Excel)

– Details on the definition and data sources of MEAL indicators used in the country dashboards can be found here: English | Français | Español

– The MEAL 2018 dataset includes all key indicators reported in the 2018 Country Dashboards (year of data, data point and performance classification): English (Excel updated April 2019)

Using data and expertise from across the movement

The MEAL system is made possible by contributions from all parts of the SUN Movement. It is guided by the MEAL Advisory Group, composed of experts in information systems for nutrition, monitoring and evaluation, and representatives of the SUN stakeholder networks. The MEAL System uses a set of 79 indicators to capture progress across the six steps of the SUN Movement Theory of Change. It relies on secondary data complemented by primary data collected by the SUN Movement Secretariat and SUN Networks. The secondary data is gathered from validated global datasets (e.g. WHO, UNICEF, DHS, MICS, FAO and others). Information on the enabling environment at country level is collected through SUN countries’ Joint Annual Assessments and budget analyses.

– A detailed analysis of the MEAL indicators was conducted with the first round of data collection and can be found in the MEAL Baseline Report: English

The SUN Movement Theory of Change 

Today, there is a growing expectation that countries in the Movement can demonstrate how effective partnerships can lead to progress in spending and implementation and contribute to results and impact. The SUN Movement’s Theory of Change describes six steps whereby country level stakeholders, together with the Movement’s support system, can align their efforts to help governments scale up nutrition action and impact, thereby also accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.