sei-discussion-brief-monitoring-of-tandem-framework-2021-b592724219094cb7.pdf

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) describes the integration of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) within the Tandem framework. Tandem is a holistic approach designed to enable scientists, intermediaries, and users to co-design sustainable climate services. The document advocates for an intentional MEL design based on the principles of outcome mapping to support adaptive management and ensure climate services meet the needs of vulnerable communities.

• The Tandem framework is a holistic approach developed by SEI to facilitate the co-design of climate services between scientists, users, and intermediaries, ensuring they are tailored to specific contexts to support disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
• The principles of outcome mapping serve as a foundation for MEL within Tandem because they utilize a systems approach, account for complexity, and focus on behavioral changes among boundary partners rather than direct development impacts.
• Effective MEL in Tandem requires intentional design from the start, which includes identifying boundary partners, formulating outcome challenges (statements of expected behavioral change), and defining graduated progress markers (categorized as 'expect to see', 'like to see', and 'love to see').
• The document introduces a 'sphere of influence' concept to ensure project designs are realistic. This distinguishes between the 'sphere of control' (direct boundary partners), the 'sphere of influence' (broader reachable networks), and the 'sphere of interest' (the wider set of beneficiaries and vulnerable populations).
• Two specific information-gathering tools are recommended for Tandem: the 'most significant change' technique, which uses story-based dialogue to identify valued outcomes, and 'outcome harvesting', which verifies outcomes using reports and interviews.
• A robust MEL framework supports adaptive management in climate services, allowing for flexibility and recalibration to address uncertainties and unexpected impacts through iterative learning and feedback.
• The FRACTAL project (Future Resilience for African CiTies and Lands), funded by the UK's DfID and NERC, serves as an illustrative example of applying Tandem's MEL design in Windhoek, Namibia, to integrate scientific knowledge into city-regional decisions regarding water, energy, and food.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). sei-discussion-brief-monitoring-of-tandem-framework-2021-b592724219094cb7.pdf. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sei-discussion-brief-monitoring-of-tandem-framework-2021.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. sei-discussion-brief-monitoring-of-tandem-framework-2021-b592724219094cb7.pdf. n.d. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sei-discussion-brief-monitoring-of-tandem-framework-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=sei-discussion-brief-monitoring-of-tandem-framework-2021-b592724219094cb7.pdf |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sei-discussion-brief-monitoring-of-tandem-framework-2021.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendseidiscussionbriefmonitoringoftandemframework2021b592724219094cb7pdf, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{sei-discussion-brief-monitoring-of-tandem-framework-2021-b592724219094cb7.pdf}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sei-discussion-brief-monitoring-of-tandem-framework-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }