SIMLESA strengthens project monitoring and evaluation capacity. A Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Workshop was held in Nairobi, Kenya, during 13-17 June 2011 as part of the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume cropping systems for food security in Eastern and Central Africa (SIMLESA) project. It was facilitated by a team from the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and led by Enock Warinda.
The workshop inspired the development of key M&E frameworks and provided participants with information and tools for better result management. The five-day workshop employed a practical, interactive approach using case studies and analyses of real-life situations. Twentyeight participants were drawn from the SIMLESA country teams of Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, plus representatives from CIMMYT.
SIMLESA program leader Mulugetta Mekuria opened the workshop, emphasizing the Program Steering Committee’s recommendation of a standardized M&E protocol. The workshop enhanced participants’ skills to develop the requisite framework, track project progress, and develop effective data-quality-management and performance-monitoring plans. By the end of the workshop, participants had developed action plans for M&E activities in their respective countries.
