In July of 2018, our USAID/Jordan Monitoring and Evaluation Support Project (MESP) organized the third annual MEL conference, focused on the theme of Self-Reliance and Sustainability
This year’s conference brought together people from beyond the USAID community for the first time. Over 250 attendees represented 75 government institutions; USAID activities and projects; local and international organizations; the private sector; and Jordan’s evaluation society, EvalJordan.
This event continues to be significant because it is helping to build a cadre of M&E specialists, who are critical to effective decision making across a range of sectors.
![Three women with sign reading - Promoting Women' Leadership in Health](https://www.msiworldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DK2A0594@05x.png)
![Acting Mission Director Nancy Eslick at a booth at the 2018 Jordan MEL Conference](https://www.msiworldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DK2A0749@05x.png)
![Attendees of the 2018 Jordan MEL Conference in a session](https://www.msiworldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DK2A1148@05x.png)
Discussions focused on the frameworks and metrics needed to measure reliance and sustainability, and highlighted successes, challenges, and opportunities to achieving it.
Partners also led nine capacity-building sessions covering topics including scaling up development interventions, and an introduction to self-reliance metrics.
The scaling up discussion was led by MSI’s founder and worldwide scaling up expert, Larry Cooley. Watch or download this video of the workshop.
![Larry Cooley with Jordan MESP apprentices](https://www.msiworldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/23.7.2018-MESP-MEL-Conference-Day-1-380@05x.png)
![Larry Cooley sits on a 2018 Jordan MEL Conference panel about scaling up](https://www.msiworldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DK2A0847@05x.png)
![Larry Cooley speaking during his 2018 MEL Conference Panel](https://www.msiworldwide.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DK2A0944@05x.png)