Ghana Charts the Future of Evidence-Based Development
How Ghana Evaluation Week is transforming M&E from compliance to strategic governance, and what it means for African peer learning
Ghana has moved beyond rhetoric. The inaugural Ghana Evaluation Week, held in Accra this October, wasn’t just another conference. It was a statement that evidence-based decision-making now sits at the heart of Ghana’s development agenda.
The Development Insights Hub (DIH) organized the event with the Ghana Monitoring and Evaluation Forum (GMEF), the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) of Ghana and development partners including Twende Mbele. Twende Mbele is a peer learning partnership of African governments who are using evaluation evidence to improve governance and service delivery. At the Accra International Conference Centre, government agencies, policymakers, M&E professionals, researchers, civil society, and media gathered around a clear mandate: make data use a daily habit, not an exception. This article focuses on day 2 sessions and discussion points that emerged.
“Without data we’re flying blind.” – Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Moving Beyond Guesswork
The theme captured both ambition and humility: “Ghana’s Evaluation Journey: Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward.”Ghana recognizes that building a resilient national M&E system takes more than technical infrastructure. It demands cultural transformation, institutional coordination, and genuine partnership.
What stood out was the focus on practical application. This wasn’t evaluation theory in isolation. It was about making every policy and program more targeted, effective, and accountable through systematic use of high-quality data.
Digital Innovation Meets African Context
Ghana is embracing technology while ensuring it serves African realities. Sessions demonstrated how data systems across ministries are being harmonized to enable real-time decision-making, with platforms linking health, education, and agriculture databases for integrated reporting.
The conference introduced Evaluation.ai, identified as the first AI tool specifically developed for M&E, while emphasizing the critical need to include African languages in AI applications. Presenters also showcased tools like Notebook LM for synthesis and exploration, and Nano Banana by Google for generating images for communications like posters and social media content. Practical demonstrations featured Power BI, KoboToolbox, and Tableau for data visualization.
The message was clear: technology is an enabler, but it must be adapted to local contexts and designed to enhance, not replace, human judgment in evaluation practice.
The conversation emphasized that civil society organizations need to be better engaged to feel genuinely integrated into the M&E ecosystem. Not as afterthoughts, but as core partners from design through implementation. Similarly, the media’s role in translating evaluation findings into public discourse was highlighted as essential for democratic accountability.
Ghana is also leveraging international tools strategically. The National Evaluation Capacity Index (INCE) Project, a framework successfully implemented in over 20 Latin American countries, is being adapted to measure and strengthen Ghana’s institutional evaluation structure. The explicit goal is to “make the Ghana Evaluation system knowable.” Ghana’s inclusivity score within this system is reportedly above average, and development partners are now exploring how to expand INCE to other African nations including Benin, Morocco, South Africa, and Tanzania.
Evaluation as the Key to Sustainable Development
UNICEF Ghana underscored a powerful reframing: evaluation is not merely a technical process. It’s the key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. For UNICEF, evaluation means impartial, systematic assessment that generates high-quality data telling the story of every child’s life in health, education, and well-being.
When evaluations include children, tools must be adapted based on age, gender, and context, respecting children’s ways of understanding and communicating. This human-centered approach to M&E, ensuring that measurement serves people rather than just processes, represents evaluation at its best.
What This Means for Twende Mbele
Ghana Evaluation Week offers concrete lessons for peer learning across Twende Mbele partner countries:
Data Integration as Strategic Imperative:
Ghana’s approach to cross-sector data interoperability demonstrates that integrated government data systems are achievable. The emphasis on unique identifiers and standardized protocols provides a replicable model for other African governments seeking to move beyond siloed reporting.
Communication as Core Competency:
Effective data visualization is not cosmetic. It’s essential for ensuring evidence reaches decision-makers in accessible, actionable formats. UNICEF’s demonstration of dashboards communicating child-welfare indicators showed how well-designed visuals enhance both understanding and uptake among non-technical audiences.
Institutional Anchoring for Sustainability:
Embedding evaluation training in institutions like the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration creates long-term capacity beyond individual practitioners. This institutional approach, combined with sustained investment in mentoring, offers a pathway to sustainable M&E capacity across the continent.
Partnership as Force Multiplier:
The collaboration among government, UNICEF, development partners, civil society, and academia demonstrates the power of coordinated action. Ghana’s National M&E Forum provides a platform for sustained dialogue and knowledge exchange. A model worth replicating.
Looking Forward
Twende Mbele will document Ghana’s digital data integration model as a case study in our 2026 Peer Learning Series. We’re also exploring collaboration with Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and UNICEF on joint evaluator training modules and planning to develop a brief on data visualization and M&E uptake strategies.
Ghana Evaluation Week demonstrated that when national ownership meets institutional coordination and technological innovation, M&E can transform from a compliance exercise into a strategic governance instrument. This is the vision Twende Mbele exists to advance: using monitoring and evaluation as a catalyst for improved performance and accountability across African governments.
Ghana has shown the way. Now the question for the rest of us is: how do we follow?
Atelier d’Exploitation des Résultats de l’Évaluation des Services des Archives et de la Documentation Mis En Place Dans les Collectivités Territoriales
Atelier d’Exploitation des Résultats de l’Évaluation des Services des Archives et de la Documentation Mis En Place Dans les Collectivités Territoriales
Du 17 au 19 Septembre, à Dosso, au Niger, la Haut Commissariat à la Modernisation de (HCME) a organisé un atelier sur l’exploitation des résultats de l’évaluation des services des archives et de la documentation mis en place dans les collectivités territoriales.
L’atelier a réuni les acteurs clés qui sont directement impliqués dans la gestion des archives et de la documentation des collectivités territoriales, les cadres du HCME et des Archives Nationales ainsi que des personnes ressources expertes du domaine.
Les objectifs et les résultats attendus de l’atelier sont :
- Contribuer à l’amélioration continue de l’implémentation et de la gestion des services des archives et de la documentation dans les communes.
- Analyser les résultats de l’évaluation des Services des Archives et de la Documentation dans les 18 Collectivités Territoriales, afin de construire un plan d’actions et des recommandations pour non seulement rendre effective l’opérationnalisation des SAD mais aussi pour optimiser les futures implantations de ces services.
Les résultats attendus de l’atelier sont :
- Les causes profondes des succès et des échecs sont validées à travers l’évaluation des SAD existants ;
- Les expériences réussies et les facteurs clés de succès observés dans certaines collectivités sont documentés pour servir de modèles ;
- Des mesures concrètes, priorisées et réalisables sont élaborées pour rendre les Services des Archives et de la Documentation existants fonctionnels et efficaces ;
- Des lignes directrices et des recommandations détaillées portant sur les aspects tels que les ressources humaines, la formation, l’équipement, le bâtiment, les microordinateurs, les logiciels, les processus documentaires, le cadre règlementaire, la communication et la sensibilisation des décideurs, des scolaires, du public, pour garantir le succès des futures mises en place de SAD sont produites ;
- Une feuille de route détaillant les étapes clés pour la pérennisation des Services des Archivage et de la Documentation et la mise en œuvre des recommandations est élaborée ;
- Un réseau d’échanges entre les acteurs des différentes collectivités en matière de gestion archivistique et documentaire est créé.
Septième édition des Journées Béninoises de l’Évaluation (JBE) 2025
Septième édition des Journées Béninoises de l’Évaluation (JBE) 2025
Du 8 au 10 septembre, la Direction Generale de l’Evaluation et de l’Observatoire du Changement Social (DGEOCS) a organisé la Septième édition des Journées Béninoises de l’Évaluation à l’hôtel Golden Tulip Le Diplomate Cotonou. Sur le thème “l’Inclusion, Levier d’Un Systeme National d’Evaluation Axé Sur Les Resultats”
Objectifs de la septième édition des JBE
L’objectif général de la 7ème édition des JBE a était de rassembler les acteurs nationaux et internationaux spécialistes de l’évaluation des politiques publiques pour réfléchir sur les mécanismes pouvant permettre de renforcer l’inclusion des parties prenantes dans les Systèmes Nationaux d’Évaluation ainsi que l’utilisation des résultats d’évaluation au Bénin.
De façon spécifique, il s’agit de :
- échanger sur les facteurs favorisant et/ou limitant l’inclusion de tous les acteurs des Systèmes Nationaux d’Évaluation (gouvernements, collectivités locales, parlement, associations des évaluateurs, des jeunes évaluateurs émergents, universités, Partenaires Techniques et Financiers, etc.) pour l’utilisation des résultats d’évaluation dans les prises de décisions au Bénin ;
- Explorer des stratégies, techniques et outils innovants qui favorisent l’inclusion, la participation des acteurs au systèmes nationaux d’évaluation (SNE) pour l’utilisation des résultats d’évaluation ;
- formuler des recommandations concrètes pour renforcer le caractère inclusif des mécanismes de production, de dissémination et d’exploitation des résultats d’évaluation au Bénin.
Les principaux points forts qui ressortent de la conférence sont les suivants :
• 250 personnes ont participé à la conférence.
• 11 ministres étaient présents.
• 7 députés étaient présents.
• 5 anciens ministres étaient présents.
• Pas d’implication substantielle de l’organisation indépendante d’évaluation du Bénin (VOPE).
• Pas assez de jeunes entrepreneurs (YEEs) présents. Les YEE ne participent pas aux aspects d’assurance qualité/planification de l’évaluation.
• Le Bénin a relancé le projet MPAT.
• Le Bénin ne réalise pas et ne prévoit pas de réaliser d’évaluation rapide.
• Le parcours du Bénin en matière de suivi et d’évaluation (M&E) a débuté en 2007.
• La loi sur le S&E a été adoptée en 2024. Cette loi ne traite pas seulement des évaluations, mais aussi du suivi.
AfrEA Anniversary 2025 , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
AfrEA 25 Years Anniversary, 16-18 June 2025, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
On the 16 – 18 June 2025, non-government organisations, governments and international organisations joined African Evaluation Association (AfrEA) to celebrate 25 years of their existence. The celebration of 25 years of the existence of the AfrEA is a significant milestone for the evaluation community in Africa. These expected results aligned with AfrEA’s vision and mission to serve as a leading source of evaluation knowledge and to promote Africa-led evaluation practices that contribute to the continent’s development agenda. It was also an opportunity to build a stronger future together.
The anniversary events objectives were:
Reflect on AfrEA’s History and its Key Milestones
This was crucial as it provided an opportunity to acknowledge past achievements, learn from challenges, and chart a strategic course for the future of evaluation in Africa, ensuring that the organization’s growth and impact are recognized and leveraged for continued advancement of the field.
Acknowledge and Celebrate the Contributions of AfrEA members
This was vital as it fostered a sense of community and appreciation, motivates continued engagement, and highlights the collective eff orts that have shaped the evaluation landscape in Africa, reinforcing the value of collaboration in achieving shared goals.
Building Partnerships for the attainment of African Union’s Agenda 2063
Strengthening support for evidence-based policies aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and building a partnership with the AU would enhance the relevance and impact of evaluation practices in Africa, aligning them with continental development goals and fostering a more integrated approach to monitoring and assessing progress towards the “Africa We Want” vision.
Facilitate High-Level Discussions with the African Union
Facilitating high-level discussions with the African Union during the event in Addis would be crucial for strengthening the alignment between evaluation practices and Agenda 2063, potentially leading to enhanced collaboration in monitoring and assessing progress towards Africa’s development goals and fostering a more integrated approach to evidence-based policymaking across the continent.
Secure AU Endorsement of a Resolution on Advancing Evaluation in Africa
This would be instrumental in elevating the importance of evaluation within the continent, providing a strong political mandate that supports the integration of robust evaluation practices into policy-making processes, and enhancing collaboration with development partners to achieve sustainable development outcomes aligned with African priorities.
Strengthening Old Bonds and Securing New Partnerships
The focus on strengthening old bonds and securing new partnerships in building a stronger future together is crucial as it would foster a more robust and interconnected evaluation ecosystem in Africa, leveraging existing relationships while forging new alliances to enhance knowledge sharing, resource mobilisation, and collaborative eff orts towards building a stronger, more resilient future for evaluation practices across the continent.
At the anniversary, Twende Mbele country partners took part in two panel discussions. Below are some of the pointer that emerged from these panels:
1) Strengthening Evaluation Capacity in English Speaking Africa: Pathways to Better Governance and Development Outcomes.
Dr Thina Nzo said that, “Evaluations should not just be a national government priority, but it should also be institutionalized at a local level where government policies have the most impact.”
Thokozile Molaiwa said that, “The DPME is collaborating with a wide range of partners in the private sector, departments, and higher education institutions to improve evaluation literacy and technical know-how.”
Timothy Lubanga said that, “Uganda has commissioned 46 evaluations, but government can’t commission evaluations alone as there are too many programs & policies that need evaluating. Decentralized evaluation is the way forward, with more non-government actors commissioning them.”
2) Commitment of African States to policy evaluation, use of evidence and strengthening of national evaluation systems.
Timothy Lubanga said that, “Uganda is currently reviewing its National Evaluation Policy (NEP). This policy will take into account issues related to ICT, AI and gender equality.”
Abdulaye Gounou said that, “Benin has made significant progress in strengthening its national evaluation system, notably with the recent adoption by Parliament of a law on monitoring and evaluation.”
Parliamentary Capacity Building Workshop 29-31 May 2025 Cape Town
Parliamentary Capacity Building Workshop, 29-31 May 2025, Cape Town
Twende Mbele in collaboration with DPME, South Africa, organised a 3-day capacity building workshop to bolster and augment existing M&E capacities among Members of Parliament (MPs) and parliamentary researcher departments of Twende Mbele partner countries. This workshop aims to foster champions and cultivate an appreciation of the value of M&E evidence in informing public-sector planning, policymaking, and budgeting. The forum is part of Twende’s 2024-2026 approved work plan aimed at enhancing and advancing parliamentary oversight leveraging M&E. The interactive event was co-facilitated in English and French.
PURPOSE OF THE WORKSHOP
The purpose of the 3-day capacity building workshop was to build and augment existing M&E capacities among Members of Parliament (MPs) and Parliament Researchers of Twende Mbele member countries: Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, South Africa and Uganda. This capacity building workshop aimed to foster champions and cultivate an appreciation of the value of M&E information in informing public sector planning, policymaking, budgeting and implementation processes. The workshop continued the Twende Mbele’s mission of improving oversight through M&E. The workshop was co-facilitated in English and French, and was interactive, bridging the gap between M&E theory and its practical application in the oversight functions of parliament.
The aim of the capacity building and peer-learning by Parliamentarians workshop was to:
- strengthen the demand for and use of evaluations among parliamentarians and parliamentary support staff.
- Enhance the capacities of parliamentarians and parliamentary support staff in M&E evidence production and use;
- Link evaluation practices to the oversight roles of parliamentarians;
- Integrate evaluation into planning and budget processes of parliament.
The three-day training covered the following thematic areas.
- The importance of M&E and building a culture of using evidence in oversight and accountability
- Evidence-based policy-making cycle and Medium-Term Development Plan
- Integrating evidence in planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation processes
- The importance of theory of change in measuring outputs, outcomes and impact, assumptions and risks in implementation of policy plans, strategies and programme
- The role of research and sources of empirical evidence in M&E processes
- How to use credible, reliable sources of data in problem diagnosis and decision-making
- Developing actionable recommendations and improvement plans
- Collaboration between parliamentary committees and key stakeholders
The training was a success and indeed assisted members of parliament to gain the required skills. Thus, the overwhelming majority (92.3%) of respondents to the post-training survey rated the workshop as very pertinent to them/their work. Further, most respondents found the training content to be timely and informative (76.9%), while almost everyone (92.3%) highlighted the need for a follow-up training. This is indicative of their perceived relevance of the training, curiosity to deepen their knowledge and or skill in evidence-use for parliamentary oversight, cry for additional support to fully grasp issues / techniques discussed and / or brought to their attention for the first time. It also speaks to the trust and confidence in the trainers’ individual and collective expertise and delivery styles.
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