The National Monitoring and Evaluation Agency (NaMEA), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), concluded a two-day validation workshop for 10 Public Investment Projects Monitoring Reports at the Freetown City Council Hall on Wallace Johnson Street.
The 10 projects are being implemented by various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) across Sierra Leone. Over 70 participants attended, including representatives from the Ministries of Education, Youth Employment, Agriculture, Health, Energy, the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), and the National Digital Transformation Directorate.
The monitoring and evaluation exercises were conducted nationwide in November and December 2025, covering projects in 16 districts.
Officially opening the workshop, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, said MoPED established NaMEA to strengthen a culture of evidence-based governance. She described the validation process as a demonstration of government’s commitment to accountability and transparency, ensuring that public funds translate into tangible benefits for citizens.
“This event is timely and critical for achieving greater impact with limited resources,” she said. “Citizens deserve evidence, and NaMEA is central to providing it. Monitoring, evaluation, and validation are not the end point but a learning process that should inform action, strengthen partnerships, and ensure recommendations are implemented. Stakeholders must take ownership to maximize development impact so that 80% of the benefits reach the people of Sierra Leone.”
In his welcome statement, NaMEA Deputy Director General, Mr. Paul Allen, said the Agency monitored and surveyed the 10 projects in 16 districts between November and December 2025. He noted that while some projects are performing well, others face implementation challenges.
“This process will improve future project delivery, and we will ensure the reports are acted upon for the benefit of Sierra Leoneans,” he said. He thanked UNDP for its support and confirmed that all 10 projects are aligned with the Government’s _Five Big Game Changers_ agenda.
Dr. Susan Roberts, Deputy Commissioner of NaCSA, said NaMEA’s work lends credibility to social protection and youth employment programmes implemented over the past decade. She commended the Islamic Development Bank and other donors for supporting vulnerable groups, noting that beneficiary selection uses data from Statistics Sierra Leone.
Dr. Roberts also disclosed that the German Development Bank is funding infrastructure along border districts, including cattle, rice, and cocoa value chains, as well as roads, culverts, rice stores, milling machines, and water wells in riverine areas of Kambia and other parts of the country.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Mr. Kevin Petrini, said the validation exercise aims to improve efficiency and value for money, scale up lessons learned, and strengthen planning and delivery. He emphasized that projects must be well-designed, managed, and executed to support fiscal stability and debt repayment.
“Evidence empowers action,” he said, reaffirming UNDP’s continued partnership with NaMEA to advance Sierra Leone’s development goals.
The workshop was chaired by Mr. Saidu Amara, Director of Capacity Organisational Policy Systems and Development. During the Q&A session, it was revealed that NaMEA is currently monitoring over 200 ongoing projects nationwide.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Mrs. Maliatu Bah Jalloh of NaMEA.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 20th May 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
