Launch of the National Monitoring and Evaluation System for Tonga ^Featured

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and in close collaboration with the University of the South Pacific (USP), several government and NGO representatives were present when the First Secretary of US Embassy and Chief of Economic and Political section, Ms Helene Tuling, presented the official documentation to the Deputy Prime Minister Honourable Vuna Faótusia, who was Guest of Honour at the occasion.

In his opening address Honourable Vuna Fa´otusia praised the launching of the National Monitoring and Evaluation System as a “milestone for Tonga and a first in the Pacific Region” with a renewed hope that “this system will strengthen Tonga to achieve the 22 targets of the JNAP2 and strengthen the resilience of Tonga.”

The National M&E System was created as part of a research project through the collective efforts of 20 technical government staff from key line ministries and non-government organisations in a Post-graduate program facilitated by the University of the South Pacific.  The ministries and NGOs involved were the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, MEIDECC, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Infrastructure, Tonga Water Board, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, National Planning, Tonga Red Cross and Civil Society Forum of Tonga.

The National Monitoring and Evaluation System aims to monitor the “22 Targets” of the JNAP2 anchored in different sectors of Tonga.  The reporting mechanism will be centralized in the Department of Climate Change through close collaboration with National Planning in the Prime Minister´s Office.  The data gathered from the M&E system will help Tonga make informed decisions on building a resilient Tonga and will contribute to measuring the Sustainable Development Goals of Tonga for international reporting.

- MEIDECC