Twende Mbele Two-Day Combined Management Committee Meeting: Post Report

Johannesburg, South Africa – 5–6 October 2026

Twende Mbele successfully concluded its two-day in-person combined strategic and technical Management Committee (ManCom) meeting in Sandton, Johannesburg, held from 5–6 October 2026. The two-day gathering brought together country representatives, technical partners, and invited guests to review progress, share lessons, and chart the way forward for the partnership.

Day 1: Country Progress, Governance, and Strategy
The first day focused on country updates and internal governance. Representatives from Ghana, Benin, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Malawi, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria shared progress on strengthening their national M&E systems.

• Ghana reported on its National Results Framework and the launch of the 2025 National Annual Progress Report.

• Benin shared updates on revising its National Methodological Guide for Evaluation.

• Tanzania highlighted delivering 90% of its FY 2025/26 targets and hosting over 1,600 participants at its 5th MEL Week.

• Kenya outlined plans to institutionalize M&E in law through a new National Economic Planning Policy and Bill.

• South Africa noted Cabinet approval of its National Evaluation Policy Framework and the launch of a public Evaluation Evidence Map.

• Malawi, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire also presented updates, demonstrating a continent-wide movement toward stronger M&E systems.

Day 1 also included a workshop on the roles and responsibilities of the ManCom and Technical Committee, participation criteria for learning events, and reflections on Twende Mbele’s strategic direction.

Day 2: Thematic Deep Dives and Learning
The second day featured presentations from invited guests and partners on cutting-edge M&E topics.

• Prof. Ian Goldman from the International Evaluation Academy introduced new guidelines for integrating Transformative Equity and Climate and Ecosystems Health (CEH) into evaluations.

• PACE delivered an introduction to Evidence Mapping, showing how to systematically organize and visualize bodies of knowledge to identify research gaps.

• A presentation on Real-time Monitoring Dashboards explored digital tools for more responsive governance.

The two-day meeting concluded with reflections and a clear way forward, including preparations for the 10th-anniversary celebrations, the upcoming AfrEA conference, and the SAMEA Conference 2027.