The African Development Bank and the government of Lesotho have jointly launched an innovative state-of-the-art initiative which uses the power of information and communications technology (ICT) to collect project data remotely in digital formats directly from the field.
The Remote Appraisal, Supervision, Monitoring and Evaluation (RASME) project is transforming operations through project data collection and analysis across ADB regional country members. It is an innovative solution that is relevant everywhere, but especially in zones with instability, insecurity, or logistical concerns.
The initiative, which improves transparency in the monitoring and evaluation of operations projects and the accountability among the stakeholders, was launched in Maseru on Thursday 29 August by Ms Mahlape Moseme, Director Policy and Strategic Planning, at Lesotho's Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and Herbert Chinokoro, who represented the Country Manager of the African Development Bak for Lesotho, Kennedy Mbekeani.
Welcoming its arrival in Lesotho, Moseme said: "Ensuring open and transparent reporting of our development initiatives is central to our mission, as is the use of data to improve decision-making at all levels. We all recognise the importance of data, particularly reliable data that is accessible anywhere and at any time, in ensuring effective and efficient project management and for the continuous improvement of our operations".
The digital data gathering suite of tools being used for the RASME project is based on the Kobo Toolbox platform, an open-source ICT solution developed by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.
RASME is deployed through a collaborative implementation process with the government and other development partners. Currently, it has been successfully implemented in 34 countries across Africa with over 1,650 people trained, resulting in over 6,100 submissions have been made.
On behalf of the Bank, Chinokoro, said the institution looked forward to active participation in the training and said: "It (RASME) reflects our collective commitment to strengthening our country's data ecosystem and ensuring that development projects are planned, implemented, and evaluated based on sound evidence. This initiative allows us to pool our resources, knowledge, and expertise."
The deployment of RASME is driven by the Bank's Corporate IT department (TCIS) by leading the technical exchanges with the World Bank's GEMS and Kobo Toolbox teams and conducting step by step the deployment over the Africa's countries.
Two days in-person training took place from 29-30 August 2024 at the AVANI Lesotho Hotel in Maseru for the Project Management Units on AfDB-financed project. In attendance were personnel from the African Development Bank as well as the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Lesotho Tax Modernisation Project, Lesotho Lowlands Water Development and Sanitation Phase III Project, Lesotho Lowlands Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, Institutional Support Project for Debt and Expenditure Management, Urban Distribution Rehabilitation and Transmission Expansion Project, and Lesotho e-Government Infrastructure Phase II Project.
