MANILA, Philippines—The National Economic and Development Authority has launched a multisectoral entity for monitoring and evaluating programs and projects amid efforts to improve implementation and maximize benefits.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga said in a statement the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Network Philippines would group development practitioners and would work at generating policy agenda.
“The M&E Network Philippines provides a venue for exchange of ideas, experiences and lessons among stakeholders,” Paderanga explained. “It intends to develop a culture of results orientation among M&E units and practitioners and strengthen their capacities.”
Paderanga added that the network was launched – with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund – to advance professionalism in the M&E community and foster deeper understanding and appreciation of M&E practices in the country.
M&E Network Philippines includes members from the government, development partner agencies, academe, M&E practitioners and consultants, civil society organizations and other organizations doing M&E for development.
The NEDA-Project Monitoring Staff acts as the interim technical and administrative secretariat of the M&E Network Philippines.
M&E is a crucial part of the government’s overall planning process as it identifies efficiency and effectiveness of programs and projects, according to Paderanga. It also ensures that development results of the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 will be achieved.
“If done sufficiently and substantially, M&E provides significant performance measurement and information for learning and accountability at the national, sectoral and program or project levels,” Paderanga said.
“M&E also allows us to improve current practices and approaches,” he said. “Through identifying the factors of success and failure, it enables us to better understand and analyze development processes and the impacts of development interventions.”