
Mrs Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Foreign Minister
An ECOWAS monitoring and evaluation policy has been recommended by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers for approval by Heads of States and Governments.
This is to ensure further robust monitoring and evaluation of the impact of projects and programmes implemented in Member States.
Ministers in charge of Planning and Monitoring and evaluation experts of ECOWAS countries made the recommendation during a virtual Ministerial meeting organised in Accra and chaired by the former Minister of Planning, Prof George Gyan-Baffour.
Prof Gyan-Baffour, in his opening remark, underscored the need for a “sound
Monitoring and Evaluation Policy that would provide clear answers to the legitimate questions of community citizens about the impact of projects and programmes on their daily
lives.”
He noted the growing need for tactful strategic planning at the national and sub-regional
levels to ensure more efficient use of available resources. He also emphasised the need to
uphold, more than before, the principles of the regional integration agenda of ECOWAS, based on solidarity, complementarity and subsidiarity.
Prof Gyan-Baffour said the adoption of this policy document signified the
importance of monitoring and evaluation in the sub-region’s development trajectory.
He further stressed that the principles underpinning monitoring and evaluation, including transparency, accountability, timeliness, utilisation and participation, must be adhered to for the use of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Policy.
The meeting
Fourteen members of ECOWAS countries as well as monitoring and evaluation
experts were present at the meeting including the Heads of the National ECOWAS
Offices in Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The Head of the ECOWAS National Office in Ghana, Mr Mohammed Nurudeen Ismaila,
welcomed the delegates on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The policy, once adopted, would establish common structures and standards across ECOWAS Institutions and Specialised Agencies that govern the application of effective monitoring and evaluation systems, and promote the culture and practice of M&E for evidence-based decision making at all levels within ECOWAS. It will also ensure a more efficient use of community resources.
Closing session
In a related issue, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration-designate, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has said that the Council meeting has charted a clear path for the enhancement of the integration process of the region.
She noted that the regional approach to addressing political and security-related problems has always proven effective over time.
Delivering her speech at the virtual meeting of the 85th ECOWAS Council of Ministers, she said with collective efforts, governments “can surmount the multifaceted challenges confronting the region, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, violent extremism and terrorism, climate change, political instability and consolidation of democracy.”
According to her, the adoption of the final report of the virtual meeting shows a clear manifestation of the importance attached to the promotion of peace, security, political and economic stability in the region.
“The report, in summary, is a bold affirmation of the leadership of the West Africa region to commit considerable time and resources to better the lives of community citizens in a sustainable manner. Let us constantly remind ourselves of this huge task and responsibility as we implement our national and regional plans for the year 2021,” Ms Botchwey said.