ECOWAS develops policy for monitoring and evaluation of projects

Ministers in charge of Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation Experts of ECOWAS countries have recommended a draft policy document for more robust Monitoring and Evaluation of the impact of projects and programmes implemented in Member States.

The recommendation came at a virtual Ministerial meeting organised in Accra and chaired by the former Minister of Planning, Professor George Gyan-Baffour. The draft policy document with the title ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Policy, has been recommended by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers for approval by the ECOWAS Heads of Government.

Ministers of fourteen Members of ECOWAS countries as well as Monitoring and Evaluation Experts were present at the meeting. Also present were the Heads of the National ECOWAS Offices in Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The Head of the ECOWAS National Office in Ghana, Mr. Mohammed Nurudeen Ismaila, welcomed the delegates on behalf of the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is also the Chairman of ECOWAS Commission. He noted that effective monitoring is critical for the successful implementation of projects. He urged participants to make solid contributions towards the improvement of the policy document and recommend it to the Council of Ministers for endorsement.

Opening the meeting, Professor Gyan-Baffour underscored the importance of a “sound Monitoring and Evaluation Policy that would provide clear answers to the legitimate questions of community citizens about the impact of projects and programmes on their daily lives.”

He noted the growing need for tactful strategic planning at the national and sub-regional levels, to ensure more efficient use of available resources. He also emphasised the need to uphold more than before, the principles of the regional integration agenda of the ECOWAS, based on solidarity, complementarity and subsidiarity.

Prof. Gyan-Baffour commented that, the adoption of this policy document, signifies the importance of Monitoring and Evaluation in the sub-region’s development trajectory. He further stressed that, the principles underpinning Monitoring and Evaluation, including transparency, accountability, timeliness, utilisation and participation, must be adhered to in the use of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Policy.

The Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Madam Finda Koroma, in her address explained that the draft Policy is a response to the clarion call from Member States for more visible and more impactful projects.

She said, “The guidance of the Ministers on the draft Policy will allow the ECOWAS Commission to adopt a policy framework that will guide, among other things, the effective implementation of ECOWAS Vision 2050 to effectively fulfil the aspirations of the community citizens”.

The Policy, once adopted, would establish common structures and standards across ECOWAS Institutions and Specialised Agencies that govern the application of effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, and promote the culture and practice of M&E for evidence-based decision making at all levels within ECOWAS. The Policy will also ensure a more efficient use of community resources.

The ECOWAS Vision 2050 document, once in place, will firm up the aspirations and developmental priorities of West African citizens over the next 30 years while consolidating the gains made by ECOWAS in the implementation of programmes and projects identified under the ECOWAS Vision 2020 document.

The ECOWAS Ministerial Meeting on Monitoring and Evaluation Policy was held on 12th January 2021 and the draft Policy document was adopted by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on 20th January 2021.