MANILA, PHILIPPINES (13 November 2007) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will manage a $500,000 technical assistance grant (TA) funded by the People's Republic of China to help countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion develop results-based monitoring and evaluation systems used in assessing efforts to reduce poverty.

The grant, approved in September under the Regional Cooperation and Poverty Reduction Fund, will be used to assist Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Viet Nam enhance skills, resources and systems for results-based monitoring and evaluation. Funding under the grant is expected to be completed in October 2009.

"Strong national and sector systems for monitoring and evaluation are necessary to assess efforts to reduce poverty, and to demonstrate results," says Keith Leonard, Director, Operations Division 1, Operations Evaluation Department (OED). "Such systems are one avenue for improving performance in terms of the quality, quantity and targeting of goods and services."

OED has supported evaluation capacity development since 1990 to raise awareness of its role in promoting transparency, accountability, results orientation and effectiveness of management systems. OED's projects have demonstrated the benefits of sound monitoring and evaluation systems in good governance and public sector reform as well as the relationship between monitoring and evaluation for results-based management, and internal auditing. OED has also supported the creation of country and regional networks to facilitate follow-up action when needed.

The technical assistance grant will be used to raise proficiency in monitoring and evaluation, conduct research on evaluation capacity development and increase knowledge sharing.

Olivier Serrat, Senior Evaluation Specialist (Knowledge Management) said: "GMS countries have recognized the shortcomings of their monitoring systems. The 14th GMS ministerial meeting held in Manila in June 2007 resolved to address this. The TA will provide related knowledge products and services."

Staff of selected agencies in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam from the ministries of finance or planning, public service commissions, other key agencies and relevant elements of civil society groups will receive training in Shanghai as part of the grant.