ARUSHA: Professor Palamagamba Kabudi, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Policy, Parliament, Coordination, and Persons with Disabilities, directed the Prime Minister’s Office to expedite the completion of the National Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Policy during the Fifth National Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Conference in Arusha. His directive, delivered via a speech by Arumeru District Commissioner Mr Mwinyi Ahmed, emphasized the need for a unified institutional framework to strengthen the tracking and assessment of government programs. Kabudi also mandated that the next MEL conference align with the policy’s official launch, ensuring its integration into national governance structures.
The minister outlined specific measures to institutionalize M&E practices, including the development of a national M&E cadre with defined roles, qualifications, and career pathways. He stressed the importance of an integrated electronic government monitoring system to improve data accuracy and decision-making, urging public institutions to bolster their M&E units with trained personnel, budgets, and technology. Kabudi further mandated that M&E reports become a regular agenda item in management meetings, linking them to budget decisions, project implementation, and service delivery improvements. His directives also called for regional and local authorities to enhance accountability clinics to address citizen concerns promptly.
Kabudi emphasized collaboration among development partners, the private sector, civil society, and academic institutions to strengthen M&E frameworks. He urged M&E professionals to verify data through field visits and direct engagement with program implementers. The conference adopted 10 key resolutions, including the completion of the National M&E Policy and the integration of Madein-Africa evaluation approaches into implementation guidelines. Tanzania Evaluation Association representative Dr Rogers Rumenyela highlighted that the resolutions provide a clear roadmap for advancing monitoring, evaluation, and learning in Tanzania.
Permanent Secretary Dr Jim Yonazi reiterated the importance of implementing the conference’s recommendations, stating that effective execution would enhance government efficiency and national development. The conference secretariat was tasked with translating the resolutions into an implementation plan with clear timelines and performance indicators. Kabudi’s directives underscore a broader push to institutionalize evidence-based governance, ensuring accountability and transparency in public service delivery across Tanzania.