Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
GOVERNMENT Monitoring and Evaluation officers have been urged to focus on outcomes and impact, rather than just tracking activities, as the quality of their evaluations will inform development strategies and determine the success of future initiatives.
The call to shift focus towards outcomes and impact was made yesterday at the Whole of Government Data Collection and Analysis workshop which brought together monitoring and evaluation officers from various Government ministries and the United Nations .
In a speech read on his behalf by Ms Fananai Madambi, the Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government programmes, Special Advisor to the President on Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes and Projects, Dr Joram Gumbo said: “While monitoring is essential, we must go beyond merely tracking activities.
“Greater emphasis must be placed on outcomes and impact. The quality of your evaluations will shape the direction of our development strategies and also determine the success of future initiatives.
“To achieve this, we must institutionalise a culture of evaluation and continuous learning across all Government institutions refining policies and programmes based on evidence and lessons learnt.”
He said it is an undeniable truth that effective and modern governance are fundamentally anchored on reliable data.
“At the heart of this transformation is data which provides the critical insights needed to make informed decisions, measure progress, and optimise resource allocation. In that regard, as Government, we are enjoined to fully embrace data-driven governance, where every decision is backed by credible evidence, every programme is assessed against measurable outcomes and every investment is made with transparency and accountability,” Dr Gumbo said.
He added that monitoring and evaluation should remain a vital component of the country’s governance framework, as it promotes efficiency, accountability, and impactful development for the nation’s citizens.
The workshop follows the establishment of Monitoring and Evaluation Units in all Government Ministries, with designated focal persons serving as the crucial link between Ministries and the Office of the President and Cabinet.
To further institutionalise data-driven decision-making, the Government directed that 10 percent of budgets be allocated to Monitoring and Evaluation, with 3 percent set aside for evaluation, ensuring that every programme is systematically tracked and assessed for effectiveness.
United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr Henry Damisoni, commended Zimbabwe for its commitment to strengthening monitoring, evaluation, and data systems.
He also lauded the Government of Zimbabwe for its progress in strengthening monitoring and evaluation capacities, highlighting key achievements such as the establishment of such units across ministries.
“These milestones demonstrate Zimbabwe’s unwavering commitment to evidence-based governance and its efforts to strengthen the role of data-driven evaluations in policy and programme implementation.
“We humbly request that the Government continues its commitment to strengthening evaluation capacity, recognising its crucial role in enhancing the effectiveness and impact of policies and programmes,” Mr Damisoni said.
“We kindly urge that investments be made in further developing the evaluation skills and tools required by evaluation units across government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and that the implementation of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy be prioritised.”
