What Happens When You Move MEL From Paper to Digital? With Hannah Wichmann of Five Talents UK

Episode notes

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Hannah Wichmann, a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Specialist at Five Talents UK. Together, they explore how data collection, when done correctly, fosters trust, transparency, and transformation. What You’ll Learn: How to design MEL systems that honor participatory principles Why observation and qualitative data are equally valuable as quantitative metrics How to maximise existing data by storing it digitally How to transition from paper to digital without mandating change Group-led data analysis keeps ownership within communities How to balance donor interests with community needs Hannah Wichmann is a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Specialist at Five Talents UK, bringing over a decade of hands-on experience in digitizing MEL systems across East and Central Africa. With a background in microfinance and community development, Hannah has spearheaded the organisation's three-year digital transformation strategy, shifting from paper-based data collection to sustainable digital workflows that center community voices and actionable insights.