Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement (MERI)
Monitoring and evaluating your project
The Australian Government is taking a strategic approach to measuring achievement of Caring for our Country investment. The monitoring, evaluating and reporting improvement process provides evidence about the appropriateness, impact, effectiveness, efficiency and legacy of investment at any point in time.
The continuous and integrated cycle of monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement is referred to as MERI in the Australian NRM context.
MERI Strategy
The Caring for our Country MERI Strategy is part of the Australian Government's strategic approach to measuring achievements of Caring for our Country investment. The MERI strategy sets out the roles and activities that will be undertaken by both the Australian Government and those receiving funds to implement Caring for our Country projects. The strategy provides important information to guide MERI for projects at all scales, including measures for standard immediate outcomes and five year outcomes.
Guides to support the implementation of MERI can be found in the MERI toolkit.
Monitoring and evaluating your project
Successful applicants are required to meet high standards for accountability and provide performance information on the results of their project.
People who have received Caring for our Country funding for projects over $80 000 are required to develop a full MERI plan as part of their funding deed. Projects of $80 000 and under require completion of steps one and two of the MERI plan template to develop a program logic. A program logic captures the rationale behind a program/project, outlining the anticipated cause-and-effect relationships between activities, outputs and outcomes.
MERI toolkit
The MERI toolkit contains the ‘how to’ information needed to use MERI throughout the life of a Caring for our Country funded project. The MERI toolkit provides steps to guide you in developing a MERI plan and a program logic, the MERI plan template and examples of project MERI plans. Frequently asked questions also address MERI issues.
Report Cards
The annual report cards are designed to inform the community about our progress towards achieving the Caring for our Country outcomes. They are based on a sound monitoring, evaluation and reporting process that measures our progress against our stated outcomes.
What we have achieved
The Australian Government is investing over $2 billion over five years to achieve a real and measurable difference to Australia's environment. Our achievements are reflected in the annual Caring for our Country report cards.