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Learning Reviews & Learning Assessments

Battle scarred building, Kabul Afghanistan

Credit: Mustafa B.

 

Learning Reviews & Learning Assessments

HII delivers Learning Reviews, Rapid Learning Assessments and Real Time Learning Reviews for humanitarian programs, emergency responses and development programs.

Forms of Learning Reviews

HII delivers a range of Learning Reviews including:

After Action Review

Real Time Review

Literature Learning Review

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Rapid Learning Review

Learning Reviews are a method of extracting lessons from a significant undertaking (project, program, response, structure or specific activity).

Learning Reviews are usually commissioned when an organisation has delivered an unusual tempo or response or there are known to be specific lessons to be learned from a specific activity.

A well constructed learning review will have a specific objective but also allow the Review Team the freedom to explore issues that arise during the review.

A well executed Learning Review will almost always include learning at the organisation/movement level as well as at the response/program level.

Learning Review Design

Most Learning Reviews are either Qualitative designs or they use Mixed Methods approaches – however learning reviews should have a heavy emphasis on qualitative methods for extracting lessons.

Unlike other forms of research and evaluation, Learning Reviews do not begin with the testing of hypotheses. Instead, they are designed to extract lessons rather than test effectiveness.

Learning Purpose & Outcome

A well designed and delivered Learning Review will help an organisation to improve future interventions without evaluative judgement. This means that the emphasis is on identifying lessons rather than evaluating effectiveness – something usually out of scope of a Learning Review.

As with all monitoring and evaluation, Learning Reviews only add value where the findings and recommendations are appropriate for the organisation. And finally, learning only occurs from the Learning Review if the right people in the organisation hear and understand the findings and recommendations – dissemination and presentation of findings is therefore a critical component of a Learning Review. 

Project Examples

A CHS-aligned Real Time Learning Review of Islamic Relief’s scaleup in Afghanistan following the takeover by the Taliban. The project examined the successes, constraints and challenges of the scaleup. The report recommended opportunities for Islamic Relief to make federation-wide improvements to to its emergency response mechanisms globally. 

Combined Learning Assessment & Evaluation of RSF’s press freedom project delivered in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Learning Review included anaysis of RSF preparedness for future conflicts where press freedom would be a concern and recommendations for enhancing the RSF response. 

Yevheniia Polshchykova

Yevheniia is a Senior Research and Learning Adviser at HII working on Learning Reviews in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa.

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