From Data to Dialogue: Measuring What Truly Matters
My journey with the VOICE Project has evolved from drafting financial strategies to building systems that verify whether those strategies truly change lives.
The turning point came during my Organizational Development mandate, when we finalized the VSLA Training of Trainers (TOT) manual. Instead of simply producing another technical guide, we chose to translate it into Amharic, enrich it with visuals, and ground it in local experience.
I had learned from past sessions that translating content into the local language—and expressing it not just with words but through pictures, actions, and videos, can bring real impact to women’s lives through literacy and empowerment. That decision reshaped how I saw development work.
During the June 2025 VSLA TOT, a woman leader named Tigest shared how her informal savings group had collapsed amid ethnic tensions.
“We had something strong,” she said, “but fear stopped us. Now, this training gives us a second chance—a savings group that can survive unexpected shocks.”
Her words reminded me that beyond technical training, the real measure of success is resilience—the capacity of communities to withstand and adapt to change. It’s exactly what we mean by the intermediate outcome IO 1230: Strengthened enabling environment for women’s economic empowerment.
Now, as Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, I’ve taken that lesson into the systems I design. The Indicator Tracking Matrix (ITM) and dashboards I’ve built are not just for compliance—they are proofs of resilience, mapping how local actions translate into systemic progress.
In September 2025, during a focus group, women cooperative members told me it was the first time they felt their voices directly shaped how project results were monitored. That moment confirmed for me that M&E isn’t about ticking boxes—it’s about building credibility, accountability, and shared learning.
As I prepare to lead the Mid-Term Evaluation, I carry forward this conviction: every training session, every dollar spent, and every local success, from VSLA groups to Catalyst Circles, must feed into a larger story of evidence-based, locally owned transformation.
