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Bringing a Feminist Curiosity to Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL): Tracing Feminist, Postcolonial, and Development Theories in Feminist MEL

Pedretti, Leandra LU (2024) MIDM19 20241
Department of Human Geography
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Abstract
Critical theories, specifically feminist, postcolonial, and development theories, inform and shape much of the practice of international development, by both criticising current conventions and procedures as well as introducing new ways of thinking. One current frontier within development practice involves reimagining Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) practices according to feminist principles, which is referred to as feminist MEL. However, in the context of feminist MEL, the connection between theory and practice is not always clear. This research aims to contribute to bridging the gap between theory and practice by exploring the case study of one organisation, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), and... (More)
Critical theories, specifically feminist, postcolonial, and development theories, inform and shape much of the practice of international development, by both criticising current conventions and procedures as well as introducing new ways of thinking. One current frontier within development practice involves reimagining Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) practices according to feminist principles, which is referred to as feminist MEL. However, in the context of feminist MEL, the connection between theory and practice is not always clear. This research aims to contribute to bridging the gap between theory and practice by exploring the case study of one organisation, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), and their early-stage development and conceptualisation of feminist MEL. More specifically, it aims to understand how their interpretation of feminist MEL practice draws from theory by analysing how feminist, postcolonial, and development theories are interpreted and presented within official documents and interviews of staff members from WILPF. The findings show that WILPF’s interpretation of MEL coherently draws inspiration from critical contributions to feminist, postcolonial and development like black and intersectional feminism, decolonial approaches, and ‘liberating’ perspectives on empowerment. These insights underscore the significant role of theory in shaping development practice, suggesting that an intimate, symbiotic relationship between theory and practice leads to more reflective and adaptive approaches. Additionally, they raise questions for further research on whether grounding practice in progressive theory can help resist cooptation and ‘rendering technical.’ (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Pedretti, Leandra LU
supervisor
organization
course
MIDM19 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Feminist theory, Postcolonial theory, Development theory, MEL, Development practice
language
English
id
9156757
date added to LUP
2024-07-24 11:36:08
date last changed
2024-07-24 11:36:08
@misc{9156757,
  abstract     = {{Critical theories, specifically feminist, postcolonial, and development theories, inform and shape much of the practice of international development, by both criticising current conventions and procedures as well as introducing new ways of thinking. One current frontier within development practice involves reimagining Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) practices according to feminist principles, which is referred to as feminist MEL. However, in the context of feminist MEL, the connection between theory and practice is not always clear. This research aims to contribute to bridging the gap between theory and practice by exploring the case study of one organisation, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), and their early-stage development and conceptualisation of feminist MEL. More specifically, it aims to understand how their interpretation of feminist MEL practice draws from theory by analysing how feminist, postcolonial, and development theories are interpreted and presented within official documents and interviews of staff members from WILPF. The findings show that WILPF’s interpretation of MEL coherently draws inspiration from critical contributions to feminist, postcolonial and development like black and intersectional feminism, decolonial approaches, and ‘liberating’ perspectives on empowerment. These insights underscore the significant role of theory in shaping development practice, suggesting that an intimate, symbiotic relationship between theory and practice leads to more reflective and adaptive approaches. Additionally, they raise questions for further research on whether grounding practice in progressive theory can help resist cooptation and ‘rendering technical.’}},
  author       = {{Pedretti, Leandra}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Bringing a Feminist Curiosity to Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL): Tracing Feminist, Postcolonial, and Development Theories in Feminist MEL}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}