Lao PDR Capacity to monitor the activities of the agricultural sector significantly improved
Critical for planning the future of agriculture and forestry amid climate change, Lao PDR’s capacity in monitoring and assessment project activities has been strengthened with the development of the Project Monitoring Information System (ProMIS).
The ProMIS system will allow monitoring projects both in term of budget expenditures and implementation of activities, covering both national financed projects and development assistance. All projects will have to complete a simple form at the opening of activities, and report a subset of indicators regularly. While the system is made easy for the project staff as any other online application, it will also allow simple and continued quality control by the MAF. First, the line Departments will be able to check at the results of the project of their responsibility. Second, the Department of Planning and Finance will have a clear vision of the successes and issues of all projects.
Maybe most important, the Department of Planning and Finance will be able to access a dashboard that will show the total results obtained by all projects over a certain period of time. This means that it will be easy to report to the NSEDP and to prepare data for high-level political events or for donors.
The ProMIS development if financed by the project r Strategic Support for Food Security and Nutrition Project (SSFSNP) financed by IFAD. The project, implemented directly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, financed FAO to develop the ProMIS system through the project UTF /LAO/020/LAO/
The testing activities was in a workshop held in Vang Vieng between July 7 and 9, 2021 which saw the participation of all the relevant MAF Departments. The activity was supported by the facilitation of various members of the SAMIS team that specialize in monitoring and IT systems.
Mr Sousath Sayakoummane, Director General of the Department of Planning and Finance, opened the meeting underlining the importance of the system for reporting and implementation of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Strategy (NSEDP) for Lao PDR.
The vast amount of data produced by the MAF will be made available to the government of Lao PDR for reporting purposes. Such innovations are needed in order to monitor the sustainably increased agricultural production, improve the global supply chain, decrease food losses and waste, and ensure that all who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition have access to nutritious food.