Provincial Governance and Service Delivery Project Extends M&E Workshop to Strengthen Quality Reporting and WASH Programs Implementation to Malaita, Makira and RenBel Provinces

August 8, 2024
a group of people posing for a picture

Group photo of participants and UNDP representatives during the training.

UNDP

Auki, Honiara, Solomon Islands – The Provincial Governance and Service Delivery Project (PGSD) has successfully concluded a comprehensive  three-day Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Workshop aimed at enhancing the capacity of provincial government officers in Malaita, Makira and RenBel provinces. 

The workshop, held in Auki from 29 July to 2 August, 2024 brought together government officials, provincial officers, and key stakeholders to focus on improving the quality and effectiveness of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs reporting and implementation.

The workshop focused on key objectives such as to

  • enhance understanding of M&E fundamentals with participants gaining a solid foundation in the basic concepts and principles of monitoring and evaluation.
  • update on methods and tools, introducing new methods, approaches, and tools for effective M&E activities.
  • improve data collection skills with emphasis placed on accurate, consistent, and reliable data collection processes.
  • utilize M&E findings effectively, highlighting the importance of using M&E findings to improve project performance and make evidence-based decisions.

The workshop included a mix of presentations, brainstorming sessions, and hands-on training, providing participants with practical skills and tools to enhance their M&E capabilities as well as their programs implementation skills.

 Sessions were organized to inform the Provincial Government officers about the national WASH standards and to provide a general understanding of high standard monitoring, evaluation, and data collection processes.

M&E is a critical component in the lifecycle of any project, enabling stakeholders to track progress, assess results, and make informed decisions. Recognizing the need for a robust M&E framework, PGSD in partnership with the Ministry of Provincial Governments and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS), conducted the workshop to promote a sound, inclusive, and accountable governance system for sub-national service delivery. Aligning with this objective, the project also provided provincial government officers with electronic tablets to modernize monitoring and evaluation practices.

One of the main obstacles met by developing partners in Solomon Islands is the capacity around collecting high-quality data to design, budget, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate projects. However, the PGSD project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP, is helping to save this obstacle by not only strengthening the monitoring and evaluation practice but also modernizing it with electronic tools.

The introduction of electronic tablets is set to revolutionize how provincial government officers monitor and evaluate the implemented activities of the project.With the tablets, officers can  perform real-time data collection and analysis, significantly enhancing their reports which they familiarized themselves with as part of the M&E training they participated in earlier.

a man standing in front of a store

UNDP Project Manager Mozammel Haque handing out a table to a Provincial Government officer.

UNDP

UNDP Project Manager, Mozammel Haque, -, is committed to extend this capacity building session to all provinces in the Solomon Islands assuring that: “The success of this workshop marks a significant step towards strengthening the capacity of provincial government officers. With improved M&E practices and the new electronic tools, we can ensure that development programs, specifically WASH projects, are not only effective but also sustainable, ultimately benefiting not only the Provincial Governance and Service Delivery project or any other UNDP project, but all development projects implemented in all provinces of Solomon.”

The workshop was facilitated by experts in the field, who provided insights and practical guidance to the participants. It was initially delivered in Honiara in May where officers from Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Isabel, Temotu and Western provinces attended. With this second round of training, the project has extended this support to all provinces in the country.

About PGSD: The Provincial Governance and Service Delivery Project (PGSD) aims to strengthen institutional governance systems at the provincial level, promoting inclusive, transparent, and accountable service delivery. In partnership with UNDP and key ministries, PGSD focuses on enhancing the capacity of provincial governments to implement effective and sustainable service delivery programs, specifically focused on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services.

For further information, please contact:

Daniel C. Gonzalez | Communications Analyst, UNDP Solomon Islands Office | (E) daniel.calderon.gonzalez@undp.org | Phone: +677 7740740/ +34 656560270