Rapid Feedback MERL
The Pulte Institute is a member of a consortium led by R4D that has partnered with USAID on a three-year effort titled Rapid Feedback MERL. This project addressed the need for systematic approaches to learning and adaptation, particularly as it relates to helping program managers make timely decisions about program design and direction that are supported by evidence.
The consortium implemented the Rapid Feedback MERL approach with up to 15 USAID-sponsored activities between 2015 and 2018.
Rapid Feedback can lead to quicker and less expensive learning by focusing rapid experimentation on specific aspects of a project and adapting activities through formative research and analysis of short-term outcomes. This includes focusing feedback loops on specific aspects of the project, and may also include using advanced statistical methods to reduce required sample sizes and the use of tools that can support rapid data collection – cell phones and tablets for survey implementation, SMS and IVR technology for remote data collection, and geospatial imagery from satellites.
Other consortium members include Abt Associates and Mathematica Policy Research.