CIC-PPAP officer attends global training

The Coffee Industry Corporation’s Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (CIC-PPAP) intervention is also contributing to improving competency level of local experts,particularly in the agriculture sector
which the country can harvest in the years to come.
Recently a staff of the project management unit attended an inaugural global monitoring and evaluation (M&E) certification training in Nairobi city, Kenya.
The rationale is to add value to the present monitoring and evaluation processes.
The training on April 9-13, 2018,was organized and sponsored by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) a co-financier of the coffee rehabilitation efforts currently being undertaken in 10 provinces. World Bank is the other funding agency.
Richard Alepa who is employed as assistant M&E officer was privileged to represent PNG in the second phase of this training after successfully passing phase 1 session conducted in Rome, last year.
As a certification course, it is compulsory for participants to take examinations through the online learning management system.The trainees were assessed and awarded grades upon successful completion of assessment for accreditation as certified M&E practitioners by the Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEAR).
CLEAR and IFAD are collaborating to design and implement course programmes in Rural M&E (PRIME),a three-year Global Certification and Result Frame work for M&E for rural development.
The overall objective of PRIME is to establish a high quality global M&E in rural development training programs that can improve collection and management of data which reflect actual progress of activities or work done in the field.
Data usually refers to numbers,measurements, particulars, information or evidence collected together for reference or analysis making the basis of reasoning or accurate decisions.
The Nairobi session attracted 43participants, mostly officials from government ministries representing52 countries.
Alepa said the global M&E certification and result framework course consisted of five days of in-person training and online multi -format assessment which includes classroom learning and case studies.
The learning modules cover data collection for monitoring and evaluation,data analysis and interpretation,communication and visualisation of M&E results and M&E for decision making.
The significance of this learning is the different options for communicating results (what, how and to whom), and understanding how M&E findings can promote knowledge management of projects and their importance to foster continue organizational learning.
“Any decisions we make on rural development projects, especially in the agriculture sector, must be based on reliable evidence,” he said.
“This is an area for improvement in PNG and many developing countries.”
Alepa did PNG proud by finishing third out of 52 international participants with a score of 89 per cent during the phase 1 course. He was awarded a distinction.Alepa said he was looking forward to doing well in the second assessment to be recognized by IFAD
CLEAR as a certified monitoring and evaluation expert for any development work or projects in the country.CIC-PPAP manager Potaisa Hombunaka said the demand for results in rural agriculture development efforts was no longer donor-driven.
“There is also a pressing need for implementing organisations like CIC-PPAP being faced with competition for donor funding and pressure from direct beneficiaries.
“Even the governments are challenged now by lending and donor agencies to show evidence-based results to guide policies for action orientated development plans that will really service the rural people.”Hombunaka said there was a great need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of project implementation to deliver results and make informed decisions based on evidence.
“The results must entail around the project theory of change, project cycle, logical and result framework.Outside of this process could be disastrous. “This means the cycle should flow smoothly from demand to utilization translating into improved outcomes.
“Nevertheless, information is rarely used to make decisions beyond basic activities,”he said.He thanked IFAD for this training opportunity to develop knowledge and skills of agriculture experts in the country.
“The wealth of knowledge and experience being developed is invaluable.This is what the project will leave behind and is another strength for coffee development work.”