What Does Digital Transformation in MEL Really Look Like? With Aasit Nanavati of DevResults
January 29, 2026
#21 MEL Digital Transformation | In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Aasit Nanavati, Chief Strategy Officer at DevResults. Together, they discuss what digital transformation actually means in foreign assistance and why 2025 felt like an inflection point for the entire sector.
In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Aasit Nanavati, Chief Strategy Officer at DevResults. Together, they discuss what digital transformation actually means in foreign assistance and why 2025 felt like an inflection point for the entire sector.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to recognize the critical inflection point in foreign assistance
- Why technology fatigue undermines impact
- The single source of truth framework
- How to avoid the legacy loop trap
- Why foundational data infrastructure must precede emerging technologies
Aasit Nanavati is Chief Strategy Officer at DevResults, a monitoring, evaluation, and learning technology platform, bringing over a decade of expertise in global health, international development, and digital transformation. With a background in public health and epidemiology, Aasit has led impactful programs across India, Uganda, and beyond while championing data-driven decision-making as a core principle in foreign assistance.
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Episode Resources:
Episode Chapters:
- 09:57 Intro
- 10:13 From Public Health to MEL Tech
- 16:59 Foreign Assistance at an Inflection Point
- 20:06 The Digital Tools Ecosystem
- 21:55 Why Digital Transformation Fails
- 25:35 The Danger of Over-Customization
- 28:21 Human-Centered Innovation
- 30:48 What Single Source of Truth Unlocks
- 35:32 The Next Decade Challenge
- 38:08 What’s Exciting Now
- 40:21 Closing Takeaway
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