Most adaptation actions are local and closely related to development needs, so it is important to develop and use local monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to capture what is happening on the ground and integrate lessons from this into national and global M&E systems. This briefing explores how learning from the local to national level informs planning and reporting from the bottom up, providing stronger evidence for adaptation assessments. Drawing on experience in Mali, Senegal, Morocco and Kenya, it unpacks how effective vertical integration of subnational and national M&E can improve national planning and lead to more robust reporting while saving time and resources by making use of existing data collection mechanisms.