Africa-Press – Ghana. Professor Charles Teye Amoatey, Programme Director, Development Impact West Africa (DIVA), Initiative has called for effective monitoring and evaluation of projects to ensure value for money.
Professor Amoatey stated that an effective monitoring and evaluation system would serve as a corrective mechanism to guide future developmental projects.
The Professor said this at a two-day development impact Summit hosted by Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on the theme: “Research to Policy Translation in West Africa.”
The Summit is being organised in partnership with the Centre for Effective Global Action at the University of California, Berkeley, the NDPC and the Monitoring and Evaluation Secretariat of the Office of the President of Ghana and funded by the Hewlett Foundation.
The Summit evaluated some government flagships, including the impact evaluation of MASLOC on poverty reduction, an evaluation of Ghana’s National Service scheme, and the evaluation of the free Senior High School education policy on students’ academic performance.
Professor Amoatey stated that the findings of the evaluation on the programmes would provide policy advice to the Government on which of these programmes were working well or not and the need for reforms.
He said the DIVA initiative was established in 2019 to support West African governments to use credible and transparent evidence to inform policy decisions.
The initiative, he said, sought to build capacities among researchers of universities with the skills to conduct research on government programmes and boost demand for rigorous evidence as a tool for improved policy making.
Prof Amoatey said DIVA since its establishment, had trained many researchers from academic institutions in Ghana and other West Africa countries including GIMPA, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Cape Coast and Ashesi University.
Professor George Gyan-Baffour, the Chairman, National Development Planning Commission said the National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy before Cabinet for approval would outline the key components, principles, technical requirements, and roles at all levels of public institutions.
He said the use of evidence must be the focus of all development processes, stressing that data for decision making should be used to improve understanding of how evidence can help inform and strengthen development policy, programmes and practices in Africa.
The Professor said a major constraint on the development challenge of ECOWAS had been the weak monitoring and evaluation standards in Ghana and the continent.
Professor Samuel Bonsu, the Rector, GIMPA, called on authorities to invest in the programmes of institutions to bridge the gap between university research and policy decision making.
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