~AEA Public Library

Our conceptualization of MLE has shifted from having a MLE plan “with a staple in the corner” to an MLE practice. 

• Practice spans design/planning, implementation, and reflection/use
• Practice is not something you “arrive at;” it is ongoing

We've found that having an MLE Plan with a staple in the corner does not necessarily mean that you have a strong practice (i.e., that the plan will be bought-into, brought to life/embedded in the org, or used to learn or inform decisions or actions)

To us, a strong MLE practice:

• A discipline or muscle
• Gets embedded into the regular work of an organization
• Can be owned and implemented by staff and grantees
• Generates data/insights that support learning or decision making

To enhance your MLE practice:

• You will likely need to seek people’s input on the design so that it meets their information-needs/is useful
• You may need them to have some role in the implementation so that MLE does not fall on only the shoulders of one person or a few people
• You will almost always want to engage them in the reflection of data/results so that MLE is not disparate from the decisions and actions of those carrying out the work

We've found it helpful to think of MLE not as something you do TO staff or grantees, but rather something you do WITH and FOR them. Engaging others in MLE planning or implementation may require making technical content accessible for non-MLE people or people who don’t have the appetite for data.