AYV News, August 19, 2026
The National Monitoring and Evaluation Agency (NaMEA) is strengthening its oversight of government projects, programmes and policies through digital technology and institutional capacity-building, as the Agency works to ensure that public investments deliver their intended results.
Director General of NaMEA, Dr. James Edwin disclosed during the Government of Sierra Leone’s Weekly Press Conference held at the Miatta Civic Centre and hosted by Mohamed Jaward Nyallay, Strategic Communications Adviser at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education.
Dr. Edwin explained that NaMEA was established to provide a dedicated institutional mechanism for systematically tracking government projects and assessing whether they are being implemented effectively.
According to him, Sierra Leone implements hundreds of government projects annually, with the number ranging between approximately 100 and 250 projects, depending on the year. Although many of these projects receive approval through the national budget process, he said there was previously no single institution with the capacity and responsibility to comprehensively monitor their implementation and performance.
Dr. Edwin explained that the National Monitoring and Evaluation Department was initially established under the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development before being transferred to the Office of the President.
Its fundamental responsibility, he said, is to monitor government projects, programmes and policies across ministries, departments and agencies, assess their performance and provide recommendations to improve implementation.
The Agency also assesses whether projects are receiving the resources allocated to them and whether those resources are being utilised effectively.
Dr. Edwin highlighted capacity development as another important component of NaMEA’s work.
Given the large number of government projects being implemented across the country, he acknowledged that it would be difficult for the Agency to continuously monitor every project directly.
To address this, NaMEA trains designated personnel within ministries, departments and agencies to undertake monitoring and evaluation activities and submit relevant information to the Agency.
He said the approach strengthens monitoring capacity within government institutions while improving the quality and availability of information for decision-making.
A key development highlighted by the Director General is NaMEA’s effort to modernise monitoring and evaluation through digital technology.
He cited the National Monitoring and Evaluation Information System, which is designed to bring information on government projects together on a single digital platform.
The system is intended to make monitoring more efficient by allowing authorised users to access project information remotely, reducing the need for officials to physically visit ministries or travel to different locations to obtain information.
Dr. Edwin acknowledged that the system is still being gradually rolled out and faces challenges, particularly around data entry and reporting, but said efforts are underway to address these issues.
Beyond routine project monitoring, NaMEA also conducts special studies to identify broader challenges that may affect the implementation of government priorities.
These studies may examine issues including financing, human resources, institutional capacity and the relationship between different pillars of the National Development Plan.
Dr. Edwin explained that some projects may fall under one development pillar while having significant implications for another, making it important to assess the connections between programmes and sectors.
Another major responsibility of NaMEA is monitoring and evaluating the National Development Plan 2024–2030 and its implementation framework.
According to Dr. Edwin, the framework provides annual targets against which government’s progress can be measured.
With Sierra Leone approaching the midpoint of the seven-year development plan, he said it is important to review the original targets, assess achievements during the initial years and identify areas requiring greater attention before 2030.
The Agency also contributes to monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other national development priorities.
Dr. Edwin further disclosed that NaMEA provides technical assessments and reports when requested by Cabinet and other government institutions.
The Agency may, for instance, be asked to assess a strategy or programme before it is presented to Cabinet, providing evidence and analysis to support informed decision-making.
He said the Agency’s responsibilities, including project monitoring, institutional capacity development, digital monitoring, special studies, National Development Plan evaluation and technical support to government,collectively form the core of NaMEA’s mandate.
Through these interventions, NaMEA aims to strengthen accountability, evidence-based decision-making and the effective delivery of government programmes and projects across Sierra Leone.
