Dear Editor,
Congratulations to those who have toiled day and night to see this change become a reality. It was their efforts that ensured victory on Monday, May 11. Guyana is now in the dawn of a new era, as we embrace our fortunes with a government of national unity; however, citizens must remain vigilant, for complacency created conditions for nepotism, corruption and lack of accountability under the previous administration.
In welcoming the new Cabinet, clarification is still being sought on the roles and responsibilities of these ministries and their designated political appointees. I foresee this will happen shortly, so it is imperative that the issue of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of ministries and their implementing agencies be addressed.
During the tenure of the PPP/C administration M&E training for various ministries and aligned agencies had been embarked upon. This project was from my initial recollection donor funded, but was treated like any other such activity under that administration − execute now and worry about deliverables later.
The training was executed, but the M&E units of the various ministries were never properly staffed and hence like all other initiatives to improve the efficiency of government they remained dormant. The module and training materials used during that process are now tucked away in bookcases in the offices of those ministries and agency heads, just occupying space.
Government ministries and their implementing agencies must understand the importance of an effectively functioning M&E unit, since these units support evidence-based decision and policy making. Therefore any government interested in good governance should seek to ensure that those units are functioning within their ministries, especially to track the progress, outcomes and impact of government’s policies, projects and programmes.
As our new Ministers take up their portfolios and begin to execute the people’s business, I look forward to news of fully functional M&E units within their ministries and the further establishment of units in relevant implementing agencies.
Yours faithfully,
Dennis Mayers
