The Consortium for Leadership of Epidemiological-economic Analysis for Epidemic Response in Africa (CLEAR-Africa) hosted the Quarter Three (Q3) Collaborative Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) and Communications Learning Session at the Zimbabwe Infectious Disease Modelling Consortium (ZIDMC), housed within the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ).

Held in a hybrid format, the session brought together 52 participants, including 16 attending in person and 36 joining online. Participants included the ZIDMC CLEAR-Africa project team, representatives from the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA), Pandemic Sciences Institute (PSI), and Mastercard Foundation. As well as other functions that support the research activities of the seven EPSILONs, including Programme and MEAL, Communications, and Site Coordination.

The session focused on three priorities ahead of The Collaborative MEAL and Communications Annual Learning Event: reflecting on the recent reporting cycle, reviewing feedback from the MEAL Needs and Gaps Assessment, and strengthening preparations for the forthcoming Annual Learning Event.

Opening remarks

The meeting was opened by David Zezai, CLEAR-Africa MEAL Lead, who welcomed participants and emphasised the importance of converting implementation experience into practical learning and using that learning to strengthen current programming.

David Zezai stated: “We are meeting at a pivotal time in our project implementation. We have completed the first reporting cycle and generated valuable experiences that we now need to collectively turn into learning. Therefore, today, we should ask ourselves three simple questions: What is working? What needs to change? And what will we do differently?”

Following the opening remarks, Lucy Marowa, Chief Executive Officer of the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) and a member of the ZIDMC Scientific Advisory Board, welcomed participants and expressed her appreciation that NBSZ had been selected to host the convening.

She described the meeting as an important opportunity to strengthen partnerships between ZIDMC and the participating institutions, while creating space for greater collaboration beyond virtual engagements: “We are hoping to share more on the work packages and, in general, everything that is before us. We look forward to working together, as we have done before online, and now face to face. Hopefully, as we go forward, there will be more of these interactions.”

Turning reporting experience into learning

The discussions continued throughout the day, led by the Science for Africa Foundation team, with participants reflecting on experiences from the first reporting cycle and identifying practical areas for improvement.

To deepen the reflection, the SFA team provided the EPSILONs with dedicated space to deliberate on what had worked properly, what could have worked better, and on specific gaps observed in reporting tools, templates, definitions and processes. The identified gaps were consolidated in real time to support a shared understanding of the improvements required going forward.

Several common challenges emerged, including time constraints affecting Site Coordinators' ability to fully attend to reporting requirements, gaps in definitions for some technical terms, and the need to better align the Innovation Reporting Tool with the Research Output Tool.

The discussions reinforced the importance of clear reporting guidance, consistent terminology and practical tools that enable teams to document progress efficiently while generating information that can support learning and programme improvement.

Strengthening preparations for the Annual Learning Event

The session also provided an opportunity to advance preparations for the Collaborative MEAL and Communications Annual Learning Event scheduled for November 2026. Participants reviewed key elements from the proposed agenda, including the Annual Learning Event concept notes, delegation numbers and composition across networks, the planning timeline and outstanding actions, as well as open decisions relating to dates, venue arrangements and other logistical matters.

Following discussion, participants agreed to extend the planned event from three to five days to create sufficient time to address the critical learning and capacity-strengthening priorities.

“We have decided to increase the meeting days from three to five so that we will have some time for the hands-on training of the LogAlto system, especially on data analytics,” said Charles Ogejo, The Collaborative MEAL Officer.

The additional time is expected to provide greater space for practical engagement with the LogAlto reporting system, including hands-on training and data analytics, alongside the broader learning agenda.

From reflection to commitment

Towards the conclusion of the session, the EPSILONs were invited to articulate their commitments to addressing the project's reporting and learning needs. A key commitment that emerged from the discussion was the need for more timely reporting through the LogAlto platform, rather than waiting until formal reporting deadlines.

The commitments provided a practical bridge between reflection and action, reinforcing the principle that MEAL should support continuous learning throughout implementation rather than function solely as a periodic reporting requirement.

The meeting was closed by Dr Purity Wambui, Project Manager of CLEAR-Africa, who expressed her appreciation to participants for their sustained engagement throughout the full-day session. She encouraged participants to remain steadfast in fulfilling their respective commitments and responsibilities as they contribute to the broader vision of The Collaborative.

The Q3 Collaborative MEAL Learning Session provided an important platform for collective reflection, strengthening reporting processes, clarifying areas of responsibility, and preparing for the next phase of collaborative learning. The discussions and commitments generated during the session will inform preparations for the Annual Learning Event and contribute to The Collaborative's continued efforts to strengthen adaptive management, evidence use and learning for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response in Africa.