MERL Advisory for Program on Improving Legal Information Provision for Displaced Communities

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organization dedicated to protecting the rights of displaced people and assisting those affected by conflict, natural disasters, and other crises. As part of its offering, it provides Information, Counseling, and Legal Assistance (ICLA) to enable displaced individuals to understand and claim their rights as well as accessing durable solutions in accordance with international humanitarian protection standards and principles.

Our client wanted to better measure the impact of its legal aid information program. They needed a monitoring system that could track knowledge improvement across both digital (via their online platform) and non-digital methods.

Our work included:

• Designing tools and a toolkit to measure effectiveness, relevance, and accessibility of information provision through both digital and non-digital channels.

• Co-creating a Theory of Change and MEL framework for digital legal aid information provision that outlined causal pathways

• Consulting with staff from over seven countries (including Myanmar, Kenya, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt) to ensure a globally relevant approach.

The revised Theory of Change helped the client to visualize how online tools can complement traditional legal assistance, expanding reach and optimizing resources. Our customized monitoring system provided them  with clear insights into how beneficiaries engage with legal aid resources. This work equips the client to refine legal information delivery and ensure that displaced communities have better access to the support they need.