#27 Why Companies Need M&E: Lessons From International Development | In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Sabine Topolansky, a Process and Impact Evaluation Manager at OCP Nutricrops, to discuss how robust M&E practices built in international development can be applied to drive measurable impact in the private sector and what career transitions from nonprofits to for-profit agriculture demand.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Sabine Topolansky, a Process and Impact Evaluation Manager at OCP Nutricrops, to discuss how robust M&E practices built in international development can be applied to drive measurable impact in the private sector and what career transitions from nonprofits to for-profit agriculture demand.

What You’ll Learn:

How to design third-party monitoring and verification (TPM&V) systems that prioritize field monitor safety
The four critical pillars of comprehensive M&E
Why private sector companies increasingly need internal M&E teams
How to translate M&E skills from the nonprofit sector into private sector language
The three most underutilized methods in corporate impact work
And more!

Sabine Topolansky is a Process and Impact Evaluation Manager at OCP Nutricrops, bringing over a decade of expertise in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) across international development, private sector, and agricultural contexts. With a background spanning NGOs, evaluation consulting firms, and donor-funded programs, she specializes in translating complex field realities into measurable insights and actionable learning.

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Episode Resources:

Sabine Topolansky on LinkedIn
OCP Nutricrops Website
J-PAL's guide to CEA
Basic Costing Template
Measurement and Indicators
J-PAL teaching resources on randomized evaluations and threats to internal validity
Power calculator
MIT x J-PAL Online Course
Marta Costa on LinkedIn
Dobility Website
SurveyCTO Website
SurveyCTO Demo Request Form

Episode Chapters:

0:00 Intro
01:20 A Lucky Start in M&E
02:42 Four Lessons From Working Across Organizations
05:30 M&E Is More Than Reporting
08:08 Third-Party Monitoring and Verification in Conflict Zones
13:25 The OCP Nutricrops Story
18:14 What Transfers and What Doesn’t
22:29 What the Private Sector Can Learn From International Development
24:53 Career Advice for MEL Professionals in Transition
28:24 Recommended Resources