8th Monitoring and Evaluation Forum Puts "WE" in M&E

November 30, 2019

IN PHOTO: UNDP Philippines Deputy Resident Representative Enrico Gaveglia, NEDA Secretary Ernesto Pernia, and DBM Acting Secretary Wendel Avisado

GOVERNMENT, M&E PARTNERS COMMIT TO MORE ROBUST USE OF EVIDENCE IN THIS YEAR’S FORUM

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) led the community of monitoring and evaluation practitioners across sectors today (November 19, 2019), at the 8th M&E Forum, in committing to increase the use of evidence to better ensure government policies and programs will fulfill their promise of leaving no one behind.

The forum opened with the commitment from government agencies to put “WE” in M&E.

Putting ‘We’ in M&E is an invitation for all of us in the M&E community to weave together our perspectives and lessons in solving our country’s development challenges through evidence-based decision-making. This also gives us the opportunity to collectively reflect on how far we have gone, where we want to go, and how we can get there together,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.

Laying the foundation for inclusive growth, high-trust and resilient society, and a globally competitive knowledge economy entails a commitment to work more closely together to make sure that results are used to their fullest potential to leave no one behind,” he added.

“With effective M&E mechanisms in place, we can be assured that our resources are properly managed and utilized in the implementation of our programs and projects. But for public ‘money-gers’ like us, M&E is crucial, not only for this reason, but more importantly, in making informed decisions that are based on data and analyses. For instance, M&E enables us to determine whether a project or program is delivering its intended results or whether it should be sustained, expanded or discontinued,” added Budget Secretary Wendel E. Avisado.

“Given the crucial role of M&E, and the volume of projects and services the government is undertaking, it is not enough that only few participate in the monitoring process. Indeed, ‘there is strength in numbers!’” he added.

The forum is organized by the M&E Network Philippines and NEDA, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines. Mr. Enrico Gaveglia, UNDP Philippines Deputy Resident Representative, expressed the organization’s continued support to the Philippine government’s ongoing efforts in using evidence to ensure public investments meet the country’s targets under the Philippine Development Plan as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

“UNDP remains committed to assisting the Philippine government in reaching its development objectives through the use of evidence-based evaluations that will assess and measure performance of government agencies,” said Gaveglia. Through the Strategic M&E Project, UNDP will continue supporting the flourishing of this ecosystem, where we can continue to leverage the use of technology in development planning, investment programming and in project implementations.”

With the theme “Standing united to strengthen national capacity for evidence-based decision making,” this year’s two-day forum would focus on sessions that could help the monitoring and evaluation community in supporting a government that is increasingly governed by a solid and accurate evidence base to achieve the country’s shared aspirations for progress.

The forum would also provide an opportunity for the participants from the government, civil society, the academe, and the development sectors to enhance their skills and competencies towards improving the usability of results.

These include a showcase of ongoing and recently concluded evaluations on the implementation of laws and programs such as the Anti-Red Tape Act, Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, Early Childhood Care and Development, and Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA).

The forum also featured learning sessions on M&E tools and skills, and discussions on building and reinforcing communities of practice that can sustain the WE perspective. [E]

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