GIRAV Project Concludes 3days Training For The Project Staff, IPs

More than thirty participants comprising the project staff, focal points drawn from the 17 Implementing Partners (IPs) and the Regional Agriculture Directors attended the interactive and enriching forum at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Kerr Serign.

In a bid to ensure effective planning and tracking of project implementation progress and delivery, the project has developed a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Manual which describes the monitoring and evaluation approaches and tools for measuring project results (outcomes and impact) and policy decisions. The manual clearly defines key roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders within the participatory framework of the CPCU, IPs and beneficiaries (small and medium scale farmers, SMEs, and other private value chain actors). Furthermore, the manual provides a means to foster the continuum from M&E to learning through a robust knowledge sharing and communication strategy.

The objective of the training is to build capacities on the key M&E approaches, the project’s results framework and data collection and reporting instruments/tools, which are provided in the M&E Manual to ensure effective operationalisation and sustainability of the M&E system. The training also exposed participants to key results-based M&E framework and approaches to strengthen the quality of project results.

Mrs. Ramatoulie Hydra Sanyang, Director of Operations, GIRAV project in her closing remarks expressed gratitude to participants for their proactive participation in the sessions. She also thanked the Resource persons for their resourcefulness.

She said: “Your full participation during these three days [in Ramadan] demonstrates your commitment to the effective implementation of the project. On behalf of the Project Coordinator Mr. Abdoulie Touray and the entire project team I wish to reassure you that all the issues and concerns you have highlighted (agricultural projects operating in silos) will be looked in to by the management of the CPCU”.

Mr. Ebou Edmund Mendy, Director of Administration - Department of Agriculture thanked the management of the GIRAV project for the initiative describing it as a worthwhile investment. He said: “It has been a very useful three days of learning and frank discussions on very pertinent issues for the successful implementation of the project. I am optimistic that we (both the Project team and the IPs) will measure up to expectations”.

Mr. Mendy also used the forum to acknowledge the project’s “remarkable” support to the DoA and its decentralized structures and the farmers in 2022 citing the 50 motorbikes and 100 tablets and the trainings in digitalization provided for the department. He assured of the continuous collaboration of the DoA in project implementation.

Mr. Alieu Sowe, Coordinator, NACOFAG also lauded the training exercise. He hoped that the momentum for Results-based approach would be sustained.

GIRAV is a five-year USD47.91million project co-funded by the World Bank (US$40m), Gambian Government (US$4m) and Matching Grant beneficiaries’ counterpart contribution (3.91m). The Project Development Objective is to Promote the development of inclusive, resilient, and competitive agricultural value chains, focusing on smallholder farmers and agribusinesses in project target areas across the country.