Webinar: RTI’s New Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Adapting (MERLA) Course

Molly Chen specializes in MERLA for international projects and program design for private-sector, non-profit, Peace Corps, and USAID and Department of State projects. Ms. Chen has a strong track record of supervising complex projects, building strategic partnerships, and managing and designing programs to ensure greatest impact and accountability.

Currently, Ms. Chen supports the overall strategy, design, and implementation of MERLA for our Global Health Division’s technical portfolio in HIV/AIDS, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and health systems strengthening. She has extensive experience writing technical sections of USAID proposals, including M&E, management, personnel, local and expat recruitment, technical reviews, and assisting on cost proposals. In 2017, Ms. Chen co-founded the RTI MERLA Community of Practice which leverages expertise and best practices to strengthen staff capacity in MERLA and collaboration, learning and adapting for superior program implementation.

Sarah Frazer is an Evaluation & Learning Specialist and Gender Equity and Inclusion Lead at RTI International. She assists project teams to implement integrated monitoring and evaluation processes, with a focus on learning and adaptive management. Additionally, Ms. Frazer leads gender equity initiatives and integration of gender and social inclusion, for RTI’s governance, youth workforce, and food security and agriculture programs. Ms. Frazer is a member of RTI's Global Gender Center focusing on issues related to gender and women’s empowerment in international development contexts.

In 2017, Ms. Frazer co-founded the RTI monitoring, evaluation, research, learning and adapting (MERLA) Community of Practice which leverages expertise and best practices to strengthen staff capacity in MERLA and collaboration, learning and adapting for superior program implementation.

Meagan Meekins specializes in MERLA for Global Health Development. She assists projects in leveraging quantitative and qualitative data for evidence based decision making across a wide variety of technical areas, including Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), Family Planning, and Malaria. Meagan is a founding member of the MERLA Community of Practice, and has organized RTI cross sectoral learning events in Washington DC, the Philippines and Uganda.

Ms. Sarah Pouezevara is Senior Research Education Analyst and eLearning Specialist with the International Education Division of RTI International’s International Development Group. She has expertise in adult learning and training with a special focus on teacher professional development, including using Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) for training. She applies this expertise to designing innovative approaches such as mobile learning, open and distance learning, and communities of practice to increase impact of international education project through monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Ms. Pouezevara has led program evaluations for international NGOs in the education and health sectors, and has been the lead or co-author on several practical research reports and reference manuals, including state-of-the art reviews of mobile learning, one-to-one tablet computers, and massive open online courses (MOOCs) in education in developing countries. Prior to working for RTI, she participated in many education-sector program evaluations for the International Rescue Committee; she developed e-resources for The World Health Organization and the International Committee for the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and designed training materials and delivered training workshops for UNAIDS. Sarah is based in France.