In a bid to strengthen monitoring and evaluation mechanisms towards improving project management of the different Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) programs, 24 BDA staff underwent a 5-day Monitoring and Evaluation Training on July 7-11, 2014 at El Bajada Hotel in Davao City.

The activity was funded by AusAID and UNICEF.

A group of resource persons from Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) sa Mindanao, spearheaded by its Managing Director Dr. Alan S. Cajes, facilitated the training.

Eighteen (18) M & E Officers, two (2) Project Officers, two (2) Management Information System Officers, and one (1) QIP were the participants coming from regional and central management offices.

BDA Programs Head, Engr. Windel Diangcalan, who also joined the training hoped “BDA will be strong in the monitoring and evaluation aspects which is crucial in coming up with good program.”

“If you will do well in Results Based Monitoring, you are leading a good track,” he said.

The facilitators cited the important role of M & E Officers in project implementation and planning.

“M & E Officers are like physicians, they diagnose the root cause of the problem,” Cajes pointed out. “Knowing the problem is the key in finding the solution,” he elucidated.

The facilitators discussed Project Life Cycle, Basic M & E Concepts, Results Based Monitoring, M & E Frameworks, Monitoring Methodology, Evaluation Methodology, Data & Information Sources, Analysis and Presentation of M & E Data, and Developing M & E Plan.

The participants delved well in Logical Framework (logframe) Approach, a management tool mainly used in the design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects. They were grouped according to program and made their respective logframe.

To gauge the learning they acquired in the training, the participants also underwent online assessment.

Staff who joined the training came from different BDA programs namely Mindanao Trust Fund Reconstruction and Development Programme (MTFRDP), Tahderriyah Program, Programme for Local Economic Development through Enhanced Governance and Grassroots Empowerment (PLEDGE), and Community Development in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (CD CAAM) Project.