Abstract for: Indicators for Systems Change: Integrating System Dynamics into Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation Systems

The conventional way of designing Learning, Monitoring, and Evaluation (L,M&E) indicators, treats change as linear — cause and effect moving in one direction. But living systems don’t behave that way. They evolve through feedback loops, delays, and interconnected influences that continually shape one another. Thus, we need a perspective shift in L,M&E to understand systems change. In this note, there are two concept models as examples of how indicators for L,M&E could be thought about using SDM and it ends with reflections and guiding questions for practice. This is a preliminary note to get started on understanding the role of systems thinking and SDM for developing L,M&E indicators and systems. It may be useful for practitioners and could add value to the methodological perspective. L,M&E for systems change is not about achieving flawless measurement; rather, it is about deeper learning. The process should begin by asking fundamental questions, like: 1. What system shifts do we really care about? 2. How much invested we are to learn about these shifts? 3. What indicators could tell us about them? 4. How can we create the desired information systems? 5. What will it take to operationalize the above? Indicators for systems change should allow us to: • Follow a line of enquiry to understand why things happen the way they do • What potential changes could be thought about to change the outcomes • What inner systems shifts in our own beliefs and values are needed to bring outer systems change L,M&E should move from proving success to learning about the systems’ behaviour and the systems’ change, both outer and inner.