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IASC (Field Test Version) A Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings
Category: Key Guidance, Monitoring & Evaluation
Audience: Implementing agencies
Read this document for guidance on assessment, research, design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programs in emergency settings. Annex 5 is a sample framework for a health program to treat persons with mental disorders in primary health clinics.
Also, view supplementary orientation materials on the common M&E framework that were developed for use in various workshops in emergency settings, including Jordan, Iraq, South Sudan, and Ukraine. Access supplementary materials here.
For more information, background documents, or updated versions of the materials, please contact the IASC MHPSS RG co-chairs at mhpss.refgroup@gmail.com or hannaf@who.int.
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WHO (2007) Monitoring And Evaluation of Mental Health Policies and Plans
Category: Key Guidance, Monitoring & Evaluation
Audience: Implementing agencies
Utilize this module, which is part of the WHO Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package, for different ways of evaluating mental health policies and plans. It describes a five-step process for conducting evaluations and examines how results of an evaluation can be utilized to improve policies and plans.
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WHO (2018) mhGAP Operations Manual
Category: Key Guidance, Monitoring & Evaluation
Audience: Implementing agencies, Governments, Donors
Use the mhGAP Operations Manual for practical, step-by-step guidance for integrating mental and physical health services, with relevant sections to monitoring & evaluation [See section 4 starting on page 53].
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MHIN (2014) Theory of Change for Complex Mental Health Interventions - A Practical Guide
Category: Key Guidance, Theory of Change
Audience: Implementing agencies, Governments, Donors
Use this guide for a practical overview of the process of developing a Theory of Change (TOC), focusing on using a stakeholder-driven, workshop approach to achieve this.
Also, view supplementary TOC e-presentations here & example ToC map for integrating mental health into primary care in India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Uganda and South Africa – the PRIME study.
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CHS Alliance, Group URD and the Sphere Project (2014) Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability
Category: Key Guidance, Accountability
Audience: Implementing agencies, Governments, Donors
Read this resource when planning for greater accountability to communities and persons affected by crisis. As a core standard, the CHS describes the essential elements of principled, accountable and high-quality humanitarian action.
Note: Access the latest version of the Sphere Handbook (2018) on their project website. View the draft version of CHS (2018) here with accompanying CHS Guidance Notes & Indicators & Videos.
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ALNAP & CDA (2014) Closing the Loop: Effective Feedback in Humanitarian Contexts, Practitioner Guidance
Category: Key Guidance, Accountability
Audience: Implementing agencies, Governments, Donors
Use this guidance when designing or implementing feedback mechanisms in a humanitarian program, and in particular in cases where such mechanisms are established to operate at the level of the individual program or project, operate in the context of ongoing humanitarian operations, provide usable information, and/or deal with a broad caseload.
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CARE (2013) The Community Score Card (CSC): A Generic Guide for Implementing CARE’s CSC Process to Improve Quality of Services
Category: Key Guidance, Accountability
Audience: Implementing agencies, Governments, Donors
Use the CSC toolkit, created by CARE Malawi to provide CSC practitioners from various institutions with practical CSC implementation guidance. The toolkit is generic in nature and can be applied in any sector, including mental health.
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World Bank Sample Indicators for Social Accountability (SA) Activities
Category: Key Guidance, Accountability
Audience: Implementing agencies, Governments, Donors
Read this sample for illustrative social accountability indicators at the project level, presented through a table that provides a sample of indicators that were used for SA activities in World Bank–funded projects.
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IFRC (2016) Psychosocial Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework
Category: Specific Tools & Materials, M&E Frameworks
Audience: Implementing agencies, Governments, Donors
Access this framework, developed for use by MHPSS programming managers to design relevant M&E systems for psychosocial programs, to help in program planning and the development of strategies, and to mainstream global reporting of progress on PS programs. Access through IFRC PScentre here.
Supplementary materials:
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World Health Organization and UNHCR (2012) Assessing Mental Health and Psychosocial Needs and Resources: Toolkit for Humanitarian Settings
Category: Specific Tools & Materials, M&E Tools
Audience: Implementing agencies, Governments, Donors
Use this comprehensive toolkit for general guidance on MHPSS assessments, as well as various tools for assessing MHPSS problems and resources.

Cross Cutting Component. Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning
Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) is part of the planning, designing and day to day management of integrated mental health programming. An effective MEAL system supports program managers in tracking progress, making program adjustments, discovering unplanned effects of programming, and showing outcomes of mental health integration. MEAL also supports accountability to stakeholders through information sharing and feedback mechanisms.

Breaking Down the MEAL System
System for Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
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Analyze situation & assess needs
A situational analysis and needs assessment are carried out to determine whether an integrated mental health program is appropriate and feasible and, if so, to inform its planning and design through systematically collecting and analyzing data. This includes information about mental health needs, capacities, resources and national efforts for mental health system strengthening, and overall sustainability of planned services. > Access Toolkit Section: Step 1. Assess & Plan for MH Integration
Design Program
- Develop/Adapt Program Objectives. Findings from a situational analysis and/or needs assessment are used to design and tailor the program to the local context. This includes being consistent with government guidelines and global best practices, building on any existing or emerging mental health components of a system, and meeting identified needs while also considering existing resources.
- Develop/Adapt Logical Framework & Indicators. This includes the development of a logical framework, and associated activities for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as well as, program specific quantitative and qualitative indicators. Indicators track key elements of program performance as well as results. Some donors also require specific M&E templates and additional elements such as outlining a Theory of Change (TOC) that helps you check the validity of your assumptions by setting end objectives and working backwards to ensure that activities, outputs and outcomes will link to program objectives. > → See MHIN TOC practical guide & example ToC map for integrating mental health into primary care in India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Uganda and South Africa – the PRIME study. A free 20-minute course by Save the Children on Theory of Change is available on DisasterReady.
Collect Baseline
This is the measurement of the initial conditions as determined by project indicators, that occurs before the start of a program. Baselines can help monitor changes and contribute to program evaluation by making comparisons with later follow up data. Relevant data that is still current and was acquired in the situational analysis and needs assessment phase can also be used as part of the baseline.
When no formal baseline is completed, or the baseline data is incomplete, the following strategies may be employed:
- Consult and utilize existing secondary data (e.g. WHO AIMS, AIMS country reports, WHO proMIND, MH Atlas, MHIN, and mhpss.net) from other NGOs, government or community organizations (e.g. survey data, health registers or project activity records).
- Utilize recall of staff and/or affected populations (e.g. asking staff about past training, activities, practices for addressing mental health problems).
Implement & Monitor
This includes the systematic monitoring of mental health programs over time. It involves the ongoing collection and review of data to provide program managers and other staff with indications of progress against program plans and towards program objectives. This information should be used to improve program implementation through adjustments to programs activities, timelines and stakeholder engagement.
Review and Evaluate
This helps determine to what extent programs are meeting or have met their goals. Evaluation is essential to planning strategies, improving programs, demonstrating results, and justifying resource allocations.
- A formative evaluation with a focus on improvement is carried out during the life of the program.
- An end of project evaluation takes place towards the end of the program and is used to reveal its overall impact.
Accountability & Learning
- Learning includes systematic documentation and use of lessons learned, recommendations, and observations, that emerge from monitoring, evaluation and accountability mechanisms to improve program design, and to publish and communicate results internally and externally. Reporting, reflection and learning should occur throughout the whole program cycle.
- Accountability to stakeholders, service users and wider communities involves ongoing participation, information sharing, and development of feedback mechanisms, to guide program design and implementation in line with local priorities.
- Community Participation and Stakeholder Engagement in MEAL is essential to identify and address challenges and gaps as they arise, in ways that are appropriate for the community and context. This can lead to increased relevance of programming, transparency, accountability, sustainability and ownership. Communities and stakeholders can be engaged and participate in:
- Needs assessments and situational analyses.
- Resource mobilization.
- Discussing the program design and planned activities. outcomes and impact.
- Data collection for monitoring and for evaluation.
- Providing feedback and suggestions in a safe and dignified manner (e.g. through feedback and complaint mechanisms).
- Interpretation of MEAL data to make recommendations.

Identifying Indicators for Integrated Mental Health Programs
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Key Considerations for developing indicators:
- Carefully consider the time and resources required to collect specific indicators and ensure that the information collected is practical and useful for documenting and informing programming.
- Ensure that indicators are prioritized to inform programming and demonstrate outcomes; avoid overburdening the community with data collection that is not useful or effective.
- Support the standardization of core indicators for mental health integration programs among agencies and partners.
- Whenever possible, track indicators using >data collection systems that already exist, instead of external systems that will require special efforts to maintain.
- Indicators should be SMART: Specific, Measurable / Quantifiable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound; they should be well defined, so that they are understood, and data is collected and interpreted in a consistent manner.

>>> Examples of indicators across levels of MH integration are available in the SAMPLE IMC Mental Health Integration Results Framework.
