Embracing the Shifting Maze: Complexity-Aware Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

This issue of Agriculture and Development Notes examines how integrated monitoring, evaluation, and learning (I-MEL), can help teams navigate complex agricultural development challenges. Drawing from the Inclusive Value Chains Philippines project, the publication explains how adaptive and systems-based MEL supported the diagnosis, design, piloting, and evaluation of interventions in coffee and vegetable value chains in Sultan Kudarat and Cebu, Philippines. It highlights the value of mixed methods, qualitative tools, systems thinking, and reflexive learning in tracking change, responding to uncertainty, and improving inclusion outcomes. The note is useful for program managers, researchers, MEL specialists, and development practitioners seeking practical approaches to complexity-aware monitoring, evaluation, and learning in inclusive value chains and agri-food systems.