A 3-day strategic monitoring and evaluation training, organized by Development Measures (DM) ended in Abuja, with participants applauding the discussions centred on Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E), reports ITRealms.
The rich content of the workshop
made the difference. The outing was indeed, an eye-opener to the endless
opportunities that abound in the indispensable area – Monitoring and Evaluation
(M and E).
For Jennifer Ukaobasi, a lawyer, it was time well-spent.
“This training is one of the best things that have happened to me in my pursuit
of knowledge. I enjoyed every minute I spent at the Workshop. Monitoring and
Evaluation is an indispensable aspect of project implementation.
"Of all the
trainings I have attended, this, I must confess is exceptionally rich. They
broke down M & E to the level of understanding of all and you can see; now,
I talk M and E; I eat M and E; I have developed love for M and E and I am now
an M and E professional. I was taught by some of the best hands in the field in
the country and beyond. I would not have forgiven myself if I missed the
workshop.”
The 3-day Workshop was held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 19th to
21st of July, 2017, with about forty participants in attendance.
Speaking at the event, President, Development Measures
Global Network and Monitoring and Evaluation expert, Emmanuel Uche, described
Strategy development, Monitoring and Evaluation as essential in every project.
“The training is part of the
organisation’s Institutional strengthening capacity building series, aimed at
improving the operational capacity, programme impact and sustainability;
targeting non-state actors. The failure of projects in Nigeria is as a result
of failure in managing for results.
“This training is aimed at building the capacity of
participants, sharpening their skills, and deepening their understanding of
Monitoring and Evaluation, as well as Managing for Results, for greater
productivity,” he said.
In his presentation on Managing for Results: Foundational,
Logic and the Project Cycle, Uche explained that “Managing for Results or
Results-Based Monitoring is the collection and analysis of data to determine
whether or not projects of programme activities are contributing to the
achievement of stated aims and objectives.”
He defined Evaluation as “an assessment of a planned,
ongoing, or completed intervention to determine its relevance, efficiency,
effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.”
Also in his paper entitled: approaches to Managing for
Results – the PMP, The Log frame and M4P, he made a case for a clear
understanding of each of the approaches before they are adopted by
professionals; even as he also gave practical examples on developing a Logical
Framework.
Speaking on Understanding Evaluation, its triggers and
Meta-Evaluation, Uche described effective monitoring of a project as the
foundation for effective evaluation of all such projects.
He explained that the essence of monitoring and evaluation
is to guide funding decision of projects.
Dwelling on “Understanding Strategy”, Dr. Ada
Isabella Igbokwe described it as central to the success of every endeavor,
without which there may not be proper direction in projects implementation.
Speaking on Strategic Planning Imperatives, Igbokwe argued
that strategic planning is an integral part of every programme, if it must be
successful.
Tackling "Understanding Results, Indicators,
Baselines and Targets," a Professor of Economics, Onyukwu Onyukwu argued that:
“over five-decade experience of less than satisfactory effectiveness and
efficiency of aid in terms of the achievement of development objectives led to
a shift in programming focus at the turn of the millennium.
"The international
community thus shifted its focus from ensuring quality aid activities to
ensuring aid development results. This shift produced an increasing demand for
thorough planning and evaluation of the development results of aid interventions.
The best way to refocus on results and not activities is to determine the
organisations/programme key result areas during the planning stage.”
On Data Analysis and Reporting, Professor Onyukwu described
data collection as an integral part of a monitoring and evaluation system,
arguing that performance is better measured through data.
“Inferences from analyzed data help to determine if
programme goals have been attained; thus, there could be better resource
mapping. Data come from various sources and through various instruments and
they can be used as advocacy tools.”
Other resource persons include: Oduenyi Okonkwo, who spoke
on: The Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, Work planning and Operational Plan; Dr.
Walter Duru, among others.
Some of the organisations that participated in the event
were: Africa Network on Environment and Economic Justice – ANEEJ; Media
Initiative against Injustice, Violence and Corruption – MIIVOC; Lawyers Alert,
African Center for Human advancement and resource support, Development
Measures; Human Support Initiatives, among many others.
Development Measures is a private non-governmental
organization, committed to building institutional capacities to effectively
manage for results in both public and private spheres.
They have their key competencies in the provision of
consultancy services around governance strengthening, strengthening system for
accountability and transparency, organizational strategy development and
performance management, system studies, research and evaluation.
Doris Minimah/GEE
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