By Fatou Sanneh
The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources last week convened the inaugural meeting of the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)Working Group of LIFE-AR.
The main purpose of the MEL Working Group is to develop the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the MEL strategy, and to oversee and coordinate the delivery of MEL needs of the LIFE-AR Initiative in The Gambia.
In his opening remarks, the Adviser to the Minister, Mr. Bubu Pateh Jallow, emphasised the criticality of the task at hand, and urged the team to approach their responsibilities with utmost seriousness.
The ministerial adviser underscored the pivotal role of the LIFE-AR initiative in uplifting climate-vulnerable rural dwellers, calling for dedicated efforts to ensure its success.
The Principal Climate Change Officer, Mr. Modou Cham, expressed gratitude to stakeholders for their unwavering commitment and dedication to the cause. He stated that their collaborative efforts are set to drive impactful change, foster resilience and sustainability in vulnerable regions.
The LIFE-AR MEL system will support the development of performance standards and transparency and accountability mechanisms at the country level, work with state and non-state actors through citizen platforms to enhance accountability and transparency to track value for money, adaptation effectiveness, transparency of planning, and governance systems cognisant of LIFE-AR principles.
The system will be designed within the existing country MEL and reporting systems, contributing to national climate priorities, national reporting, and reporting on global frameworks including the SDGs, the Paris Agreement commitments, and the Convention on Biological Diversity
