Donnelly Mwachi

Donnelly Mwachi is an international expert in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) working to improve development effectiveness through the design, implementation, and utilization of policy-relevant MERL frameworks. At the Advocacy Accelerator (AAC), he oversees the MERL portfolio across Africa and plays a key role in the management of the quality and impact evaluation unit. He has extensive experience with both management and implementation; and has worked in more than 39 countries globally implementing a variety of MERL approaches.

Donnelly is the Founding Executive Director of Evidence Frontiers, a private organisation that focuses on advancing the quality of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) for Advocacy, Science, Technology, and Innovations in Africa.

With over 15 years’ MERL experience, he has supported national, regional, and international development organisations, policy makers and managers, to make socially impactful decisions based on rigorous evidence. His work has strengthened evidence generation of the Criminal Justice System in Kenya and he has designed frameworks for tracking governments FP2020 commitments, supported marginalised CSOs globally in advancing their health rights under the dialogue and dissent framework, designed frameworks for tracking social protection interventions by nations in Africa and, provided M&E quality assurance to the Agriculture sector in Kenya. His work has contributed to the strategies of research organisations including the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Africa Centre for Technology (ACTs), Science Granting Councils and the National Research Forums in Africa. He has also worked for various international NGOs supporting programmes in in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as for national governments in Africa. Donnelly is a board member of the Grace and Nelly Foundation and the Chairperson of the M&E practitioners’ knowledge hub in Africa. He is widely published.

Donnelly believes that organisation-centred, rigorous, and responsive policy and advocacy frameworks are essential to help managers maximize impact in policy and advocacy programmes. His vision is to improve millions of lives by transforming how the social sector innovates, learns, and improves.