NDPC reviews national monitoring and evaluation manual to strengthen development planning

The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has begun a stakeholder review of the second edition of Ghana’s National Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Manual to improve its effectiveness and application across public institutions.

The exercise, held on Thursday, November 12, 2026, brought together representatives from government agencies, local authorities, development partners, academia, research institutions and civil society organisations to examine the draft document and propose amendments.

Welcoming participants, NDPC Director-General, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, said the revision was necessary to reflect changes in Ghana’s legal, institutional and development planning environment since the first edition was introduced in 2013.

She explained that the updated manual was not intended to replace the existing national monitoring and evaluation framework but to improve how it operates and supports development planning.

Dr Smock Amoah stressed that monitoring and evaluation should be incorporated into the design of policies, plans, programmes and projects, rather than treated as an activity undertaken after implementation.

She added that evidence generated through the process must guide project implementation, budget decisions, policymaking and institutional accountability.

The Director-General urged stakeholders to make practical contributions, particularly on institutional mandates, reporting procedures, monitoring tools and templates, and the feasibility of applying the guidelines at national and local levels.The

Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at the NDPC, Bright Yaw Atiase, also urged participants to ensure their institutions' recommendations were captured in the revised document.

He emphasised that the manual was designed for use across the country's development planning system and was not an internal guide for the NDPC alone.

Mr Atiase identified incorporating knowledge management as a significant addition, explaining that strengthening the generation, sharing, and use of knowledge would improve policy formulation and management decisions.

The stakeholder review is expected to produce consolidated recommendations, agreed changes to the draft, designated institutional focal persons and a timeline for completing the second edition.

Participants included representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Regional Coordinating Councils, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, development partners, universities, research institutions, M&E professional bodies and civil society organisations.