Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) in Humanitarian Settings | 720FDA19RFI01

Opportunity Information: Apply for 720FDA19RFI01

The Agency for International Development (USAID) released a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) in Humanitarian Settings" under funding opportunity number 720FDA19RFI01. This is categorized as a discretionary opportunity and uses an "Other" funding instrument type, which generally signals that the agency is gathering information from the market rather than soliciting full proposals for immediate awards. The activity area is listed as Disaster Prevention and Relief, aligned with CFDA number 98.001, which is commonly associated with USAID humanitarian assistance programming.

The core focus of the RFI is MEAL in humanitarian contexts. MEAL typically covers how humanitarian programs track progress (monitoring), assess results and effectiveness (evaluation), ensure communities can provide feedback and raise concerns (accountability), and use evidence to improve future decisions and performance (learning). In humanitarian settings, these functions have specific challenges and priorities: fast-changing operating environments, constrained access and security risks, urgent life-saving timelines, and the need to maintain data quality and ethical standards while working with vulnerable populations. By issuing an RFI on this topic, USAID is usually seeking practical, field-tested approaches for setting up or improving MEAL systems that can function under crisis conditions, including sudden-onset disasters and complex emergencies.

Eligibility for responding is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of organizations and entities may provide input. This can include NGOs, international organizations, private sector firms, universities, research institutions, and other stakeholders with relevant experience in humanitarian monitoring and evaluation, community feedback mechanisms, information management, or learning and adaptive management. Because it is an RFI, the intent is typically to collect ideas, capabilities, lessons learned, and potential models or methodologies from a broad set of respondents, rather than to limit responses to a narrow pool of pre-qualified applicants.

Key administrative details include an original closing date of January 11, 2019, and a creation date of December 21, 2018, indicating a relatively short response window typical of RFIs. No award ceiling or expected number of awards is provided, which is consistent with an information-gathering notice rather than a grant competition announcing planned funding amounts. The public synopsis notes that "the detailed full RFI is attached," meaning the substantive content, specific questions, and any requested response format would be contained in the attachment rather than in the short description.

In practical terms, a notice like this is usually used by USAID to shape future programming, procurement strategies, or partner engagement related to humanitarian MEAL. The agency may be exploring how to design MEAL frameworks that support rapid decision-making, integrate accountability to affected populations, improve real-time learning, and strengthen evidence in settings where traditional evaluation approaches can be difficult. Respondents to the RFI would generally be expected to describe relevant experience, propose workable MEAL approaches for humanitarian operations, highlight tools and methods that perform well in low-resource or high-risk environments, and identify innovations or best practices for collecting and using data ethically and effectively during emergencies.

• The Agency for International Development in the disaster prevention and relief sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) in Humanitarian Settings" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-12-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-01-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 720FDA19RFI01

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