How to connect M&E with learning in case management
In our previous article, we discussed the importance of integrating the Monitoring and Evaluation component into your case management system and went over the benefits of connecting the M&E data to learning opportunities for the case management team. In this article, we look into more detail how such data can be used to reflect, learn and improve your practice, making your case management approach more effective over time.
Why should you connect learning with M&E and case management?
When you make use of the M&E data of your case management system with the learning objective in mind, you empower your teams to improve services via reflection. The focus shifts away from mere compliance to donors and other stakeholders’ requirements. Instead, your case management teams have the headspace to make better use of the collected data, inside a feedback culture that is more aligned with adaptive management principles.
Learning connects the dots allowing the case management team to pause to reflect and discuss what the data means and how it can be used to make better decisions. Questions like the following, help teams evolve and improve:
- What are we seeing in our case data?
- Why might this be happening?
- What should we do differently?
Examples of M&E data becoming learning opportunities:
| M&E data | Learning opportunity |
|---|---|
| Data shows a decrease in service completion rates | The team discovers transportation issues in a particular region. |
| Time-to-referral is longer than expected | Review reveals unclear workflows and a need for refresher training. |
| Certain sites show consistently better client outcomes | The team explores what’s working there and shares best practices across locations. |
How to connect learning with M&E data for your case management system
To get started, consider different opportunities where you can embed learning in your case management routine. Make sure you have a consistent approach that you adjust based on what is working well. Consider the following practical tips:
- Schedule regular learning discussions dedicated to insights from the M&E data of your case management system
Select small slices of data and take a look at them in weekly or monthly team meetings. Use dashboards to create comprehensive summaries or high level overviews. Ask:
- What is surprising?
- What is improving?
- What is not working?
- Use visualizations that match the discussion and the audience needs to prompt reflection
Instead of looking at specific cases or raw data, create dashboards, pivot tables, charts or maps that will allow you to understand trends and spark discussion. From total services provided per month, to amount of referrals made or patterns related to outcomes achieved and follow-up completion rate, there are numerous topics that each meeting can focus on.
- Include field staff in the conversation
While numbers are ideal to help you detect a trend or a gap, there is more information that can be hidden and can only be explained by looking at the ‘why’ behind the numbers. Invite and create space for field staff to interpret the data and suggest actions based on what they are seeing in their daily work.
- Proceed with small changes, test, and apply a continuous improvement approach
Following a learning session, you might end up with some recommended actions or solutions. Create short learning loops that will help you monitor the implementation of the solution so as to come back to it with refreshed insights.
- Identify a problem (e.g. high case closure delays)
- Brainstorm a solution (e.g. revised form or workflow)
- Test it in one location for a month
- See if it improves
- Connect learning to decision making
Last but not least, find the opportunities where learning can inform key aspects of your case management workflows and make sure to track implemented changes over time. Consider program design, staff training, follow-up models, referral partner selection, etc.
ActivityInfo has a variety of features that can support your learning initiatives for your case management system. From dashboards and other types of reports to record history tracking and from role-based access to calculated fields that allow you to track specific indicators for your learning objectives, the platform can be adjusted to your needs.
Contact us if you are considering ActivityInfo as your case management system and we can walk you through a demo customized to your needs.