Hon. John Manjang made the remarks at the Governor’s Office in Mansakonko during the closing session of the Ministry`s annual retreat.
The objectives of the retreat was to assess the achievements and challenges faced during the implementation of the 2023 work plan and also review the 2024 annual work plan for the various departments, units and agency under the Ministry.
She pointed out that they need each other to achieve their objectives, saying “I am proud of my team. On behalf of the Government of The Gambia, I thank MECCNAR, our projects, agencies and department for supporting the global objective of The Gambia.”
“It is all of us together that can make a difference. MECCNAR is lucky to have rich brains,” she added, noting that it is through such meetings and engagements that they are able to tap from each other’s experiences to complement each other’s efforts and learn from one another.
She also commended her Permanent Secretary for making her work easy for her as well as her support staff for also doing their best.
Hon John Manjang added that they did a lot during the course of the past year, noting that she has seen improvements this year even though they still have gaps to fill.
She also thanked their donor partners for their support, saying it is all of them together that can make the bigger picture successful.
“We need to keep our reporting format not only qualitative but also quantitative so that we have the benchmark on what to apprize as per our performance. For the first time in my tenure we are able to develop standardised Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) limited it to our departments and agencies,” she further said.
She also called for the need to enhance their M&E processes and strategies, saying without checks and balances one cannot be sure if you have achieved your objectives or not.
She also thanked her staff for the respect accorded to her as their leader.
“Let us maintain the spirit of team work. It is the only way we can achieve the global objectives. Let us live the Gambianism because The Gambia as a country is bigger than all of us. Let us protect the interest of the country, no matter our differences. Achieving the global development goals is what will suit all of us,” she concluded.
Ebrima Jawara, Permanent Secretary of MECCNAR said the retreat’s success superseded his expectation.
He added that the retreat’s program was loaded but they managed to go through most of the items on the agenda. However, PS Jawara said there is still a lot of follow ups to do with the KPIs.
He said with the spirit of cooperation and team work, he is sure they will have more success stories to report on next year. He thanked everyone who attended, saying their commitment shows what they can achieve if they work as a team.
