Outline of the Project

Project name

The Project for Capacity Development for the ASDP Monitoring and Evaluation System Phase II

Target Area

Tanzania mainland (All the districts)

Period

Aug. 2011 to June 2015

Counterpart

ASDP M&E TWG (Monitoring and Evaluation Thematic Working Group), ASLMs

Overall Goal

ASDP Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is improved through interactive operation of relevant activities such as National Sample Census of Agriculture, National Panel Survey and Agricultural Routine Data System (ARDS).

Purpose

ASDP M&E is conducted on the basis of national agricultural data collected through improvement of ARDS.

Outputs

1. ARDS is rolled out nationwide and operational.
2. Backstopping activities for ARDS by M&E TWG are strengthened.
3. Coordination of ASDP M&E to implement ARDS is enhanced.

Activities

1-1	To prepare annual work plan for ARDS rolling-out.
1-2	To conduct sensitization activities for introduction of ARDS for staff in Regions and LGAs.
1-3	To conduct trainings of trainers (TOT) for ASLMs and Regional staff by M&E TWG.
1-4	To conduct trainings of trainers (TOT) for District officials by M&E TWG, ASLMs and Regional staff.
1-5	To conduct trainings on the ARDS implementation for WAEO/VAEO by District officials under supervision of M&E TWG and Regional staff.

2-1	To conduct seminars for reviewing implementation process and sharing findings among Regions and LGAs.
2-2	To conduct trainings for M&E TWG on data collection methodology, data analysis, reporting and feedback mechanism.
2-3	To conduct trainings on data collection methodology, data analysis and reporting for Regions and LGAs.
2-4	To improve Training guides for LGAs officials, WAEO/VAEO format & Integrated Data Collection Format based on the ARDS implementation process.
2-5	To improve LGMD2 and its manual based on the ARDS implementation process.
2-6	To review ASDP M&E Framework.

3-1	To report the achievements of the ARDS activities in the ASDP related meetings such as Committee of ASLMs Directors and Expanded ASDP Steering Committee.
3-2	To create awareness on the activities of ARDS for administrative officials in Regions and LGAs.
3-3	To share and coordinate the ARDS related activities/information (e.g. coordination with National Sample Census of Agriculture and National Panel Survey, budgeting for nationwide rolling-out of ARDS) with ASLMs and the Development Partners.
3-4	To support implementation process, in relation to ARDS, of preparation of ASDP Performance Report, implementation of JIR/Agricultural Sector Review and PER.

Inputs

Japanese side

JICA Experts (Chief Advisor/Institutional Development, Agricultural Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation, Administrative Data Management, Coordinator)

Provision of machinery and equipment for ASDP M&E TWG, RS and LGAs that facilitates the M&E activities at local level.

Tanzanian side

Counterpart assignment

Provision of facility: Office space for the Project team

Project Overview

In Tanzania, the development of the agricultural sector has been carried out under the sector wide programme called the Agricultural Sector Development Programme (ASDP). ASDP started in July 2006 with adoption of a basket fund approach where the Government of Tanzania (GoT) and Development Partners (DPs) jointly put financial resources in a pooled fund specifically designated to the agricultural sector development.

In order to track the progress of the ASDP and evaluate its effects, a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is essential. However, the M&E system was not in place when the ASDP started. To develop an M&E framework for the ASDP, the M&E Thematic Working Group (TWG) was established in December 2006 with the officers of ASLMs specializing in M&E, statistics and information management systems and DPs which support the ASDP. The TWG developed the ASDP M&E Framework. Since then effort has been made to operationalize the Framework.

The M&E of the ASDP can be broadly divided into two aspects: i) physical and financial progress pertaining to the use of the basket fund by LGAs and ASLMs, and ii) the technical performance of the agricultural sector. As for the former, Local Government Authorities (LGAs) prepare quarterly the physical and financial report, and submit to the central government and is presented to the the ASDP Basket Fund Steering Committee.

As for the technical performance of the agricultural sector, the agricultural sample surveys and the Agricultural Routine Data Systems (ARDS) are the primary sources of information. The outline of the information sources and the flow is shown in the figure 1 below. In Tanzania the major sample survey is the National Sample Census of Agricultural (NSCA). The NSCA is rich in agricultural information, but it is implemented only every 5 year. On the other hand, the ARDS is supposed to deliver agricultural sector information from grass roots (village level) to LGAs, and there to ASLMs through regions every quarter. But it has not been functioning properly up to present. For example, a standardized reporting forms and flows have not been clearly defined yet.

Given those situations, JICA under the agreement with the GoT, implemented the Project for Capacity Development for the ASDP M&E System from March 2008 through March 2011 with focus on piloting the establishment of an improved version of ARDS. The pilot areas were in Morogoro and Dodoma regions where a standardized data reporting formats (the Integrated Data Collection Format (LGMD2) and the VAEO/WAEO Format) were tested. In response to the positive outcomes of the Project, the second phase of the support, which is this Project, has been launched since August 2011 after the signing of the Record of Discussions on 8 June 2011. The major objective of the second phase is to roll out the improved ARDS over the entire country, and make it operational.

Data Collection and reporting from LGAs to ASLMs in the ASDP