(Wednesday 23rd October 2019 Issue)
Regional
Hub workshop to strengthen the performance of monitoring and evaluation and
knowledge management of projects by the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), which ran from 15–18 October, 2019 in the Guinean capital,
Conakry, has ended with a certification ceremony.
IFAD-funded
projects in the following countries, namely Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea
Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and the host Guinea Conakry, took part in the
second edition event that was convened at the Sheraton Hotel in Conakry.
IFAD-funded
projects officials presented on the impacts of their projects in their respective
countries during the workshop
Information
gathered by this reporter disclosed that the projects were divided into groups
to reflect improving country programmes, project design, support for project
implementation, project visibility and knowledge management and strengthening
as well as partnership development.
Messrs
Momodou L.Gassama-Project Director, BakaryE.K.Jammeh of Knowledge Management
and Communications, Miki Jawla, the Upland and Lowland Field Coordinator in
North Bank and Lower River regions, respectively, and Paul L. Mendy, Assistant
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, were delegates from The Gambia representing
IFAD funded National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project
(Nema) project.
Speaking
to this medium via WhatsApp, the Assistant Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of
the Nema project, Mr. Mendy, expressed delight for witnessing both the first
and second editions. He returned gratitude to God for making it possible, for
him to “participate fully, in the first and second editions and my project for
nominating me”.
“My
participation was made possible through the recognition of my Project Director,
Mr. Gassama, and I salute the entire Nema project staff for the dedication and
commitments rendered to the project implementations,” the Monitoring and
Evaluation officer remarked.
The
workshop, as Mendy pointed out, has given them the opportunity to present their
project activities and lessons learned during the course of its implementation.
He
also noted that the workshop has availed them (the participants) the
opportunity to constructively discuss their projects’ activities with focus on
key outcomes, which according to him, were very fruitful.
As
part of the workshop, a presentation was made on the annual work plan and
budget realization performance in project management, monitoring-evaluation and
knowledge management.
Presentations
were also made on the 2018-2019 IFAD funded activities: Performance, great
achievements, points to improve {on} and perspectives, by the director of the
hub, Benoit Thierry, as well as the Country Program Managers.
This
reporter further learnt that experts also focused their discussions on digital
technologies for agriculture in Africa, with special attention to Guinea
Conakry.