The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) on Thursday, 12 November 2026, engaged key stakeholders in a peer review of the draft Second Edition of the National Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Manual, as part of efforts to strengthen its relevance and practical application across Ghana’s national development planning system.

In her welcome address, the Director-General of NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, said the revision had become necessary to reflect changes in Ghana’s legal, institutional and development planning landscape since the first edition was published in 2013.

Dr Smock Amoah clarified that the revised Manual was not intended to establish a new M&E system but to strengthen the effective operation of Ghana’s existing national system. She emphasised that monitoring and evaluation must be integrated into the design of policies, plans, programmes and projects, while evidence generated must inform implementation, budgeting, policy decisions and accountability.

She urged participants to provide frank and practical recommendations, particularly on institutional responsibilities, reporting arrangements, tools and templates, and the feasibility of implementation at all levels.

The Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at NDPC, Mr Bright Yaw Atiase, encouraged participants to ensure that their institutional feedback was adequately reflected in the revised document.

He stressed that the Manual was not intended for NDPC alone but for all institutions involved in the country’s development planning and M&E processes. He highlighted the inclusion of knowledge management as an important addition, explaining the need to strengthen the generation and use of knowledge to inform policies and improve management decisions.

The review is expected to produce consolidated recommendations, agreed amendments, designated institutional focal persons and a timetable for finalising the Second Edition. It brought together representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Regional Coordinating Councils, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, development partners, academia, research institutions, M&E professional bodies and civil society organisations.