By Mamadou Edrisa Njie
The 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 which was convened at the Sheraton Hotel in Conakry.
During the workshop, IFAD-funded projects officials presented on the impacts of their projects in their respective countries.
Information gathered by this reporter disclosed that the projects were divided into groups to reflect on 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, Bakary E.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 implementation,” 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 on their projects’ activities with a 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 done 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.
IFAD background:
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977.
IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Working with poor rural people, governments, donors, non-governmental organizations and many other partners, IFAD focuses on country-specific solutions, which can involve increasing poor rural people’s access to financial services, markets, technology, land and other natural resources.