Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors in the Federal Ministry of Education attended a 5-day capacity development programme for the upgrading of technical skills of planning officers on modern techniques and international best practices in Monitoring & Evaluation and Policy Formulation at the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Ondo from 15th – 19th April, 2019. The training facilitated by very experienced resource persons within and outside NIEPA underscored why M&E is essential for any program management.
According to the Ag. Head of Training Department NIEPA Ondo, Dr. Sunday Adegbesan, the capacity building workshop aims to deepen understanding on monitoring and evaluation.
He also added that identifying and developing tools to be used in monitoring and evaluation of FME plans, programmes and projects; budgeting and decision making and strengthening human and institutional capacity for effective result based monitoring and evaluation is what the workshop aims to achieve.
The 5-day workshop identified some challenges impeding monitoring and evaluation to include: inadequate data for evidence-based planning and decision making; weak coordinating structure for the M & E leading to duplication of functions among the departments, units, parastatals, institutions and states.
Also highlighted were, poor communication and harmonization of M & E activities within and between departments, units, parastatals, institutions and states; inadequate capacity development of staff on emerging issues on monitoring and evaluation; non-conducive work environment, inadequate M & E tools and working materials; weak dissemination strategy with stakeholders; and inadequate and late releases of funds for evidenced based monitoring and evaluation.
At the end of the workshop, a nine-point communique bothering on continuous capacity development of monitoring and evaluation officers for effective coordination of activities in various Departments and Units in the Federal Ministry of Education was issued.
While appreciating the management of FME and NIEPA’s Director General, Professor Lilian Salami, the participants stressed the need to collaborate with NIEPA to carry out the pilot testing of the M & E Instruments for validity and reliability.