Turning Learning Agendas into practice at LuxDev

Development projects produce large quantities of monitoring data, but the greater difficulty lies in making effective use of it—this involves posing better questions, testing assumptions, sharing reflections with others and altering direction when appropriate. For LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, this was the aim that lay at the heart of its Eureka initiative, an undertaking to create a culture in which evidence and experience are used more systematically to enhance project management and decision-making.

‍

As part of that initiative, LuxDev wanted to integrate Learning Agendas into its project cycle. These Learning Agendas are structured tools which enable teams to go beyond mere monitoring and evaluation for the purpose of accountability and instead focus on learning that promotes adaptation and knowledge sharing. In order to make this approach feasible for its staff, LuxDev asked MDF Netherlands to design and provide a full learning package. The assignment ran from December 2025 to June 2026 and focused on LuxDev's project and field teams: technical assistants, thematic experts, MEL staff and programme managers.

‍

MDF started by consulting with LuxDev's Knowledge Management team about the object of the initiative, the intended audience, the current MEL guidelines and the way in which Learning Agendas link to LuxDev's project cycle. The objective was to make sure that the training would match the way LuxDev teams currently plan, monitor, reflect and report – not have it as a separate activity alongside their existing work.

‍

The design of the training was based on the principles of adult learning by using actual project situations and addressing practical questions rather than relying just on theory—for example, what do we need to learn? Which assumptions are most important? What evidence is required and when should reflection take place? The sessions included brief conceptual explanations together with exchange among peers, group work and practical exercises. The participants worked on learning how to formulate learning questions, how to identify learning activities and how to explore qualitative data collection methods.

‍

The full package included:

‍

• A two-day face-to-face pilot training on Learning Agendas
• A detailed trainer's guide and training materials
• Practical exercises and handouts
• An online microlearning module (English version) in English, French and Spanish
• An animated explainer video
• Training of Trainers webinars for LuxDev staff
• Coaching and support for further development of training materials

‍

A key aspect of the assignment was the Training of Trainers element. Instead of positioning MDF as the deliverer of training, we supported LuxDev colleagues to become confident facilitators of the Learning Agendas content themselves, using webinars, coaching and practical facilitation guidance.

‍

Thanks to the ToT and coaching, we felt empowered to provide the training (LuxDev staff)

‍

The microlearning module being developed in three languages extended its reach and thus made the material accessible in all of LuxDev's teams and in each of its country contexts.

‍

What comes next

LuxDev's internal trainers have facilitated the first training sessions independently and expressed that their participants highly appreciated the training content and its (active) dynamics. As a result, the first Learning Agendas have been developed by the country offices and project teams, which are largely in line with the quality as hoped for. An additional side-effect is that country/project teams decided to give more dedicated attention to MEL in general.

‍