Author: Dominique

The event was testament to the Government of Tanzania’s commitment, in partnership with the Tanzania Evaluation Association (TanEA), to enhance M&E within public institutions and beyond. It served as a platform for stakeholders from various sectors to discuss, share ideas, and draw lessons on managing development programs and addressing the challenges of M&E in development initiatives. The conference recognized for its role in promoting an M&E culture within the government and among communities, advocated for the development of a culture that demands and uses evaluations, and showcases the best in tourism activities in Tanzania.

The conference covered a wide range of topics under the main theme: Transforming Service Delivery with Technology-Driven Monitoring and Evaluation: Building a Culture of Evidence-Based Decision Making.

The conference sub-themes were:

• Innovations and Embedding Technologies in MEL

• Strengthening demand and supply side MEL Capacities

• Evaluation and Accountability in Development

• Cascading SDGs, Regional, National Frameworks MEL, and Diversity and Social Inclusion Progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Investment, Collaboration and Partnerships for improving sector MEL systems

• Empowering Young and Emerging Evaluators for Future Development Impact

Twende Mbele was honored with hosting two session on:

1) Introducing Twende Mbele to the United Republic of Tanzania:  Slide Presentation

2) 

The event started with pre-conference workshops on the 19th and 20th of August, 2024 followed by a three-day conference starting from the 21st – 23rd August 2024. Both the Pre-Conference workshop and the Conference will be by subscripted.

The Conference objective were:
1. To provide a platform where stakeholders share experiences from evaluations that have contributed to attainment of national targets towards NDP III and SDGs in building resilience to Climate change.

2. To explore innovative ways for evaluation practice that improve learning and strengthen synergies between local practitioners and international evaluation actors.

The conference aimed to enhance the practice of monitoring and evaluation by fostering a shift towards impactful, learning -oriented outcomes beyond accountability. It will delved into the evolution of accountability centric evaluations to practices that prioritize learning. Emphasizing the importance of moving past mere evidence generation, the conference promoted shared learning experiences anchored in strong partnerships. The overarching theme provided a foundation for stimulating discussions, interactive workshops and diverse activities throughout the event.

The conference expected outcomes were:
1. Strengthened support for integration of evidence-use in national development initiatives spanning various sectors.

2. Improved methodologies in evaluations practices and expanded research prospects for both local practitioners and international evaluation stakeholders.

The overall goal of the “Evidence to Action Conference 2024” was to bring together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss the latest research and evidence on climate change and its impact on the world, with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. The conference provided a platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration, and identifying practical solutions to address the challenges posed by climate change in the region. 

The conference objectives included:
– Knowledge Sharing: facilitated the exchange of knowledge, research, and best practices in resilience and climate change adaptation.
– Networking: provided an opportunity for participants to network and build connections with professionals from various industries, organizations, and regions.
– Policy Dialogue: provided a platform for policymakers, government representatives, and stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions on climate change adaptation policies.
– Innovation and Technology: highlighted innovative and technological solutions that can support resilience and adaptation to climate change.
– Capacity Strengthening: aimed to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to adapt to the evolving climate challenges.
– Collaboration and Action: fostered collaboration and action among participants to address climate change resilience and adaptation challenges.

The capacity building workshop sought to:

• Build and augment existing M&E capacities among public officials of the Twende Mbele member governments;

• Highlight the importance of building a cadre of M&E professionals, planners and budget officials who have an appreciation of the value of M&E information in informing public sector planning, policymaking budgeting and implementation cycles and processes;

• Bridge the gap between M&E and critical governance processes of planning, policymaking, budgeting and implementation;

• Facilitate exchanges among public officials across the Twende Mbele network, enabling the sharing of perspectives, knowledge and experience in bridging the gap between M&E theory and discourse, and its applicability in public administration and political systems;

• Strengthen relations and learning networks of public officials from Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, South Africa and Uganda, and the Tier 2 wider learning network of Twende Mbele (Twende Mbele+)