Honiara, Solomon Islands: A week-long training on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) successfully concluded in Honiara, strengthening the capacity of provincial government officers in Fiji. The training, held from May 13-17, was a collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Provincial Governance and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS), and UNICEF.

The intensive training sessions focused on designing, budgeting, planning, and implementing high-quality WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) programs. Participants from six provincial governments – Guadalcanal, Central, Western, Temotu, Choiseul, and Isabel – gained valuable skills to better monitor and evaluate project results.

Daddley Lyn Meloma, M&E Officer for PGSD project at UNDP Solomon Islands, highlighted the importance of the workshop, stating, "Effective monitoring and evaluation are critical for the success of any project. This workshop is providing provincial technical officers with the necessary tools and skills to ensure that programs are not only implemented efficiently but also deliver sustainable and impactful results for our communities around the country."

The workshop addressed the challenges faced in M&E implementation due to limited resources, technical capacity gaps, and methodological complexities. Participants engaged in sessions that covered the fundamentals of M&E, updated methods and tools, data collection techniques, and the utilization of M&E findings to enhance project performance and accountability.

Abigail Tevera, WASH Specialist from UNICEF Solomon Islands, emphasized the importance of developing and implementing high-quality WASH programs: 

“Focusing on needs assessment and proper targeting ensures that the most disadvantaged and vulnerable populations receive the support they truly need. By building the capacity of technical officers, we empower them to design, plan, budget, and implement WASH programs more efficiently, making a real difference in the lives of children, their families, and their communities.”

The workshop also included hands-on training, allowing participants to apply various tools such as the Problem Tree to identify issues in the WASH sector (WASH in communities, WASH in schools and health care facilities). They also learned about the Theory of Change Framework to establish how proposed WASH strategies are expected to lead to specific development changes, based on causal analysis and available evidence. This practical approach ensured that attendees could directly translate their learning into actionable strategies for their respective provinces.

Key areas covered included needs assessment, program design, budgeting, planning, monitoring and evaluation, quality assurance, and leveraging alternative financing mechanisms for social services.