Start here Donor reporting · Guide
IATI without starting from a blank XML file
A practical guide to the EMPOBase fields that support donor reporting and IATI export preparation.
Read note MERL Tech blog
Field systems, not abstract software talk.
Short notes for NGO, CSO, and INGO teams turning programme work into cleaner evidence: indicators, reporting, data protection, and the practical systems behind donor confidence.
In these notes
- Indicator design
- Donor reporting
- IATI
- Data protection
- Field workflows
Short, practical, and written by the team that builds EMPOBase.
Field notes
Start with these three
Each note pairs a question MERL and operations teams actually ask with the concrete fields, exports, and controls that answer it.
MEAL · Explainer
Indicator libraries are governance tools
Why numerator, denominator, frequency, and disaggregation notes matter before the first field report arrives.
Read note Security · Overview
Security questions every INGO asks first
Hosting, tenant isolation, DPA, and sub-processors in the format procurement teams usually request.
Read note How notes happen
From field question to written note
Notes start as real questions from NGO, CSO, and INGO teams. We answer them inside the product first, then write the answer down here.
01
A team asks
A MERL officer, finance lead, or country director sends a workflow that spreadsheets and email threads can no longer carry.
02
We answer in the product
We map the question to concrete EMPOBase fields, exports, or settings — and log a gap when the product falls short.
03
It becomes a note
The write-up lands on this page, so the next team with the same question starts further ahead.
Have a MERL systems question?
Send the real workflow. We can turn common questions into future notes and point you to the right EMPOBase feature today.