Ghana Monitoring and Evaluation Forum (GMEF) has organized a conference to share insight and experience into the art and practice of Monitoring and Evaluation in Accra.
The conference would help strengthen the capacity of Monitoring and Evaluation professionals and enthusiasts and also touch on latest developments in the sector at various levels.
The Special Advisor and Head of Government Results Delivery at the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation under the Office of the President, Nana Serwah Amoako said Monitoring and Evaluation is a very important sector which plays a key role in national development.
“Monitoring and Evaluation is an excellent management tool but must be utilized systematically and purposefully,” she said
According to her, it is when one is able to link Monitoring and Evaluation to national development and then the importance of it would be recognized.
She therefore called on Monitoring and Evaluation experts and consultants to work hard for the importance their sector is felt in national development, so that any other government who comes to power can maintain it and not scrap it off.
Madam Serwa Amoako further indicated that Monitoring and Evaluation must be approached from realistic and contextual angle and should have a holistic and integrated approach to achieve better development results explaining that the ministry’s mandate is to rate the implementation performance of policies in various institutions.
“There would be score cards on each program implemented by the ministries and agencies to rate their performance to enable them work effectively and also know their performance.” She added.
She disclosed that government would roll out national flagship program such as government led Evaluation for government and said government has not being able to lead evaluation space for many years, adding that “donors has always led in government Monitoring and Evaluation.”
She indicated that the ministry would collaborate with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) to get a National Evaluation Policy Completed this year.
She said: “The Government would liaise with GMEF to contextualize currently sensitive evaluation guidelines for the country, covering donor led evaluations.”
Madam Serwa Amoako said government would develop and roll out citizens based Monitoring and engagement forum similar to town hall meeting would help reach citizens in their various localities.
Government would also develop and roll out social media Monitoring system to Monitor government priority programs and also develop a national evaluation database.
A Private Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant, Mr. Kwabena Boakye on his part said it is better for government to partner private Monitoring and Evaluation professionals to enable it have trustworthy results, saying “Private Monitoring and Evaluation professional would bring out the exact result not to favour government.”
He therefore commended government for such a laudable initiative to enable him rate his performance and that off his ministers.
By: Ellen Agbavor