Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Reporter
THE Government is accelerating the digital transformation of the agricultural sector by embracing technology-driven monitoring and evaluation systems aimed at improving programme implementation, boosting climate-smart farming and strengthening national food security.
The initiative is expected to enhance accountability, improve data-driven decision-making and support Zimbabwe’s drive towards agricultural self-sufficiency in line with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030.
Speaking at the close of Phase One of the Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Building Programme in Kwekwe this week, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said strengthening digital monitoring systems was critical to building a modern, productive and competitive agricultural sector.
His speech was delivered by the ministry’s Director for Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms Modestar Mapani.
The five-day training programme brought together 50 participants from the Ministry’s Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Business Development, Markets and Trade Department, as well as officers from the Smallholder Agriculture Cluster Project (SACP) and the Horticulture Enterprise Enhancement Project (HEEP).
The training was facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), HEEP and SACP.
Prof Jiri said enhanced monitoring and evaluation systems would enable the ministry to effectively monitor programme performance, assess the impact of investments and ensure agricultural projects remained aligned with national development priorities.
“Enhanced M&E systems enable us to effectively track programme performance, assess the impact of our investments and monitor progress towards our sectoral targets, ensuring we remain on course to build a climate-smart and food-secure future,” he said.
He said the programme had been designed to move the ministry away from outdated paper-based reporting systems towards integrated digital data collection platforms capable of producing real-time dashboards for decision-makers.
Prof Jiri, however, cautioned that technology alone would not deliver meaningful transformation unless weaknesses within Government planning and implementation systems were addressed.
“Our Monitoring and Evaluation is not complete if our Integrated Results-Based Management system is not cascading down to track the activities and resources at the operational level,” he said.
“It is not complete if our Strategic Planning workshops move in one direction while the budget goes in the opposite direction. We often find ourselves tracking the progress of a project whose resources are not directly linked to the activities and results on the ground.”
He also raised concern over fragmented data systems across Government institutions, saying poor integration continued to undermine efficient service delivery.
“We must also confront the challenge of non-interoperable data management systems across national, sectoral and Ministries, Departments and Agencies levels. This lack of integration is holding us back while technology advances rapidly across the globe. We are remaining behind whilst the rest of the world is moving in tandem with technology,” he said.
Prof Jiri called for a shift towards a results-driven monitoring culture anchored on transparency, accountability and evidence-based policymaking.
“I want to remind you that you are the eyes and ears of this Ministry. Your role goes far beyond the collection of data; you are the sentinels who observe, interpret and report on the performance of our programmes and policies. By generating credible evidence, you inform the policy and operational decisions that shape our sector,” he said.
“Without your vigilance, without your commitment to accuracy and timeliness, this Ministry would be operating in the dark. I charge you to embrace this responsibility with the seriousness it deserves — and to leverage these new digital tools to shine a light on our performance like never before.”
He said strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems would play a key role in ensuring the ministry delivers on the food security, agricultural transformation and economic growth targets outlined under NDS2 and Vision 2030.
derick.khumalo