National Planning Commission engages SURE-P on monitoring, evaluation for project effectiveness

A Workshop aimed at building capacities and enhancing understanding of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) procedures has been organised for SURE-P Project Implementation Units to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the programme.

The workshop was held in Kaduna on  Monday 16th of December, 2013 by the National Planning Commission (NPC) as part of its mandate to coordinate measurement and evaluation activities relating to the implementation of projects and provision of technical support to the MDA’s Project Implementation Units.

In a welcome address read by Zakari Lawal, who is the Director of Measurement & Evaluation in the NPC, the Secretary to the Commission, Ntufam Fidel Ugbo said that the objectives of the workshop were to sensitize and build capacities of key actors in the delivery of SURE-P. He added that it was to also deepen participants’ understanding of the key concepts and relevance of effective and efficient M&E frameworks towards achieving the objectives of the programme.

Accordingly, Ugbo inferred that the three days workshop was aimed at ascertaining the status of M&E systems and structures in each of the Project Implementation Units (PIUs), review the logical framework for each of them and ascertain the level of follow-up as well as support required. He indicated that the proposed SURE-P Progress Report from inception to date as requested by the Budget Office of the Federation was finally discussed.

Fidelis Ugbo commended the staff of SURE-P for their commitment to the programme since inception; noting the significant achievements recorded particularly on road development, mass transit, railways, maternal and child healthcare and the Community Service Women and Youth Empowerment Programme.

“I will therefore, enjoin us to see and use M&E as an opportunity to further strengthen these important achievements. No doubt, the M&E system will provide us with further empirical evidence on the status of SURE-P to imbibe some lessons about the things that are tenable and those that are not as well as guide us on the next steps, based on cogent evidences,” the Secretary stated.

He described the workshop as a platform provided by the NPC and SURE-P Project Implementation Units to improve  cooperation on continuous efficient service provision to Nigerian citizens as well as improve development and move Nigeria forward through SURE-P.

In an opening remarks read by the Sure-P Coordinator of Programmes and Operations, Ali Bukar Patori on his behalf, the Acting National Chairman of SURE-P described M&E as the bedrock of success in all programmes.