Hnin Ei Lwin

The Global Assessment Report (GAR)  on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)  2025 highlights that disasters, both natural and human-made, pose a serious threat to lives, livelihoods, and development, especially in vulnerable countries. Least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states face steep challenges in disaster risk reduction, often limited by resources and technical capacity despite strong commitment. The report stresses that proactive investment in resilience, risk-informed planning, and sustainable development is essential to break cycles of repeated losses. GAR 2025 calls on governments, communities, and the private sector to strengthen resilience and better protect lives, infrastructure, and economies.  Recent events, including the March 2025 earthquake in Myanmar and October and November cyclones in the Philippines, highlight the urgency of investing in resilience. Link to the report:  https://www.undrr.org/gar/gar20...

Many assume that knowing either a thematic area or M&E alone is enough to evaluate a program. In reality, each skill alone is not enough: M&E without sector knowledge can produce technically correct but irrelevant results, while thematic expertise without evaluation skills leaves important insights unmeasured. For a deeper look at why combining M&E and thematic knowledge is essential for meaningful and actionable impact, please read the full document I discuss briefly below. Hnin Ei Lwin #Monitoring #Evaluation #Reporting #Research #MEARL #social #development #humanitarian #publichealth   

Following last week’s post on CAT4GJO (Capacity Assessment Tool for Gender-Just Organizational Strengthening), I explored another valuable resource that supports climate action transparency: the Capacity Assessment Tool for Climate Action Transparency (CAT4CAT), published in 2019 by the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT).   The CAT4CAT Facilitators’ Guidance Document provides a practical framework for assessing stakeholder capacities within national adaptation MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) systems. It offers clear guidelines and tools to analyze results and develop capacity-building strategies that enhance transparency, adaptation, and resilience.   Although this CAT4CAT tool was developed for Bangladesh, its framework could serve as a valuable reference for designing a tailored assessment to meet the specific needs of other countries. Consulting local stakeholders and experts would be essential to adapt  the  tool appropriately. ...

During a recent program evaluation for a UN agency, I came across the CAT4GJO (Capacity Assessment Tool for Gender-Just Organizational Strengthening), published by Oxfam Canada, and found it valuable and worth sharing. This self-assessment tool helps organizations reflect on their strengths, gaps, and opportunities for growth.  It is not an external evaluation or meant for partnership decisions, but it can be used as a feminist MEAL tool. While it is not a full institutional assessment or gender audit, it focuses on key areas that strengthen organizations and advance women’s rights and gender justice. What I love about the CAT4GJO is that it not only helps teams understand capacities and celebrate achievements, but also creates space for staff and leaders to share lessons, reflect together, and address gender or power imbalances. The toolkit also highlights Oxfam Canada’s six domains of change, guiding organizational growth and fostering strong, gender-just organizations. Link to t...

If you care about the Sustainable Development Goals, this SDGs Report 2025 offers a clear picture of global progress and the challenges that remain. It helps development practitioners and policymakers see how much has been achieved and how much more needs to be done.  The report highlights meaningful gains in health, education, and poverty reduction, while calling for stronger and faster action on climate. For those working to create more inclusive and sustainable futures, the next five years will be critical to ensuring that no one is left behind. Link to the report: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2025 (ISBN 978-92-1-003475-3) Hnin Ei Lwin #Monitoring #Evaluation #Reporting #Research #MEARL #social #development #humanitarian #publichealth 

Tolstoy wrote about families, and Hadley Wickham adapted that idea for data. Recognizing the same truth in M&E systems, I crafted this quote to reflect their patterns and dynamics. Hnin Ei Lwin #Monitoring #Evaluation #Reporting #Research #MEARL #social #development #humanitarian #publichealth 

According to the 2025   “ Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) ”  Report ,  international funding for the humanitarian sector is declining at a rate never seen before, indicating a financial crisis. Public funds for humanitarian aid could be cut by up to 45% in 2024 compared to 2023 due to reductions from major government donors, with additional cuts anticipated in 2025. This dramatic drop poses a threat to the implementation of crucial reforms aimed at improving the effectiveness of aid, such as early crisis prevention and support for national and local organi z ations. More than ever, countries coping with protracted crises are at greater risk. Over the past decade, debt payments have doubled, and humanitarian aid has emerged as their primary external source of support. Their capacity to recover sustainably is seriously called into question by this. In response, the United Nations has called for a   ‘humanitarian reset’   to tackle what it describes as a ...

In the “States of Fragility 2025” report, OECD defines   fragility  as the combination of risk exposure and a state, system, or community's insufficient resilience. The organization assessed this condition using   56 indicators across six dimensions: economic, environmental, political, security, societal, and human. While all   177 contexts  analyzed by the OECD show some level of fragility,   61 are identified with high or extreme levels. These areas face overlapping crises related to armed conflicts, forced displacement, climate and environmental stress, debt burdens, and worsening food insecurity and gender inequality. This is happening as international investment in peace and conflict prevention is at its second-lowest level since 2004. The report highlights how state and non-state actors are increasingly exploiting fragility for geopolitical and economic gain, which undermines development efforts. All in all, the report calls for urgent, coordinated in...

"Evaluations are an integral part of the program planning cycle.  At UNESCO, e valuation serves for  three  main purposes: Learning, Accountability and Decision-Making   ( UNESCO Evaluation Policy 2022 - 2029 )."   Th is   document   sets  out how UNESCO measures and learns from its own work. At its   core , the policy treats evaluation as much more than a technical exercise: it  is   a way to stay accountable, keep learning, and make better decisions based on evidence.   Moreover, i t   places   strong emphasis on values   such as   independence, impartiality, transparency, inclusion, gender equality, human rights ,   and environmental sustainability. This policy   not only   mirrors international best practic e but also   follows the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) standard s, ensuring   UNESCO’s approach is consistent with the wider UN family. It links evaluation directly t...