Key lessons learnt

POLICY AND PLANNING BRANCH (PPB)Proposed M&E action plan

Charles Mvula

IAC WAGENINGEN UR

February 9 – 27 2004

Key lessons learnt

•Importance of involving stakeholders at allstages of the project/program cycle in order toincrease program impact, effectiveness,efficiency and sustainability.

•Participatory tools and methodologies for datacollection and analysis.

•Participatory tools and techniques for designingproject strategies.

•Linking project design, annual planning andmonitoring and evaluation and setting up anM&E system.

Key lessons learnt cont..

•Setting up a workable ManagementInformation System (MIS).

•Building the necessary capacities andconditions for effective and efficient (P)PM&E.

•Designing an M&E action plan.

Overall objectives of Policy and PlanningBranch

•The overall objective of Policy and Planning Branch isto co-ordinate policy formulation, analysis andadvice, and maintaining an agricultural statistics database and provision of early warning information onfood security. The Branch is also responsible forprogram monitoring and evaluation, budgeting anddonor co-ordination.

The main objective of the proposed plan

The main objective is to design animproved,responsive and effective monitoringand evaluation system.It is envisioned thatwith the implementation of the proposedaction plan the M&E system will be moreresponsive to the needs of its stakeholdersand clients in improving their information andM&E learning needs.

Specific Objectives

•To review the existing M&E system in theministry to determine its relevance andeffectiveness.

•To monitor and assess agricultural performancein relation to established sector objectives andstrategies.

•To increase efficiency and capability of M&Estaff.

Output indicators

•Information assessment report produced;

•Monitoring formats developed;

•Monitoring indicators in place.

Output indicators

•Socio-economic impact study and reviewsconducted;

•Monitoring reports on NGO and privatesector activities prepared;

• Number of monitoring visits conductedannually.

Output indicators cont..

•Management Information Systemdeveloped and implemented;

•Updated register prepared and in use;

•Number of M&E training coursesconducted and personnel trained annually;

•Information sharing improved amongstakeholders.

Justification for implementing theproposed activities

Assess the information needs of stakeholdersand clients - (Assessing information needs ofstakeholders and clients is a major prerequisitewhen revising the existing M&E. This entailscarrying out a stakeholder analysis to get theviews of the stakeholders and beneficiaries).

Justification for implementing theproposed activities cont...

•Develop performance indicators and monitoringformats for ministry activities - (One of the corefunctions of PPB is the development ofcomprehensive indicators and monitoringformats for the ministry programs that are tobe monitored. In order to develop appropriateindicators and monitoring formats, the branchneeds to liaise with sector Departments andunits, major stakeholders and clients).

Justification for implementing theproposed activities cont...

Test the indicators and reporting formats in thefield; -(Once the indicators have beendeveloped there is need to test them in thefield by involving stakeholders)

•Conduct annual reviews for the agriculturalsector - (Annual review meetings are importantto get the views of the major stakeholders andclients and to know their expectations aboutthe programs being implemented in theagricultural sector).

Justification for implementing theproposed activities cont...

•Monitor NGO and private sector activities inthe agricultural sector - (The scope of monitoringand evaluation is currently narrow and it requiresbroadening so that agricultural related activitiesundertaken by the NGOs and the private sector arecaptured. This information is vital to ascertainwhether the activities of these organizationscontribute to the overall goal of the ministry).

Justification for implementing theproposed activities cont...

•Conduct monitoring and evaluation visits -(Routine monitoring of projects/programs indistricts is vital to collect data and learn theproblems impeding implementation of theactivities. A system for utilizing Provincial andDistrict level structures should be developedand implemented).

Justification for implementing theproposed activities cont...

•Develop a management Information System- (Inorder to achieve effective monitoring, PPB shouldimprove its MIS. This includes data collection,processing, storage and retrieval, and informationutilization).

•Organize training on participatory monitoring andevaluation techniques-(As part of making the M&Emore responsive to stakeholder and client needs,capacity building for staff at Headquarters, Provinceand Districts should be targeted for orientation andtraining in M&E .This will boost capability of M&Efunction at all the levels of reporting structures).

Constraints

•Limited funding for monitoring and evaluationactivities by the Branch (PPB) charged with overallmonitoring and evaluation of the ministry activities.The Director’s role is to source funds either fromdonors or from within government.

•Limited skills within PPB to spearhead monitoring andevaluation for the ministry. PPB’s role is to sourcetraining for M&E staff.

Constraints contd..

•Lack of incentives for M&E. The role of mysupervising officer is to ensure that staff is motivatedin their work by providing the necessary incentives.

M&E plan monitoring and evaluation questions

• Quarterly and Annual meetings and reports to externalMonthly, stakeholders (Zambia National Farmers’ Union,NGOs and donors) ;

•Monthly, Quarterly and Annual meetings and reports tointernal stakeholders (Departments within ministry ofAgriculture and Cooperatives, Cabinet Office, CentralStatistical Office, etc.);

•Policy and economic report to both external and internalstakeholders and clients (farmers);

M&E plan monitoring and evaluationquestions contd…

•4.Group discussions and feedback throughother tools.

Key Evaluation Questions to include

Relevance of the revised M&E to the externalstakeholders and clients;

Relevance of the revised M&E to PPB and otherdepartmental M&E systems;

Efficiency of carrying out activities and use ofinputs;

Problems that M&E staff might encounterstructural, functional and operational;

Initial targets and assumptions;

•Sustainability of the system in relation tocapacities, budgeted resources.

Resources

•In revising its M&E system, PPB will use the followingresources (time, funds, human ,material, etc.)

•The action plan will be further refined in my countryto include the M&E Matrix and monitoring indicators.