Discussion starter | Beyond the Numbers: How qualitative approaches can improve monitoring of humanitarian action

Much of the qualitative data that humanitarians are currently collecting is not being harnessed to inform decision-making. Why do humanitarian M&E practitioners still find qualitative approaches to monitoring challenging? Are there ways in which they can improve how they collect, manage and use qualitative data?

This paper is the result of background research by the ALNAP Secretariat with humanitarian organisations and qualitative experts outside the humanitarian sector. It pulls together a list of promising practice that can have the potential to be ‘good enough’ for many monitoring purposes.