Village councils, VDBs of Tseminyu district sensitized on evaluation activity in Nagaland

June 8, 2022 54 Views No Comment

Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 8

The Directorate of Evaluation, Nagaland, today sensitized the Village Councils and Village Development Boards (VDBs) of Tseminyu district on evaluation activity in Nagaland.

Addressing the ‘sensitization on evaluation activity’ programme at Tseminyu Town Hall, Tseminyu Deputy Commissioner, Dr Zasekuolie Chusi said that basing on findings and recommendations of the evaluation studies, the government takes corrective measure on the shortcomings and also act upon to further improve the success story. In this, the DC called upon the village councils and VDBs to enlighten the denizens to give factual data as and when the department visits their area.

He also requested the department to set their foot in Tseminyu district by setting up District Evaluation Office. He assured to allocate sufficient land for the purpose.

I Sentinuklu Jamir, Director, Directorate of Evaluation, Nagaland, said that government has many schemes and programmes and the department evaluate and examine such things to identify the status of the implementation on ground. Through evaluation studies, the department also assess whether the programmes are impacting the targeted beneficiaries at the grass-root and suggest appropriate mechanisms to bring about improvement in formulation and execution of the schemes and programmes.

“Do not hesitate to provide correct information to the department,” he said adding that the public will get benefit when correct information is placed.

Relationship with community
Despite being one of the oldest departments in the state, the public perception on the evaluation department is both skeptical and illogical, said Joint Director, A Anden Moklong.

Moklong informed that evaluation department acts as liaison department between the community and the government. It also acts as a catalyst for improvement, enhancement, modification and continuance of the intervention programme thereby delivering benefits to the people.

“Evaluation department acts as a mirror and pin-point the lacunae whenever and wherever program implementation goes wrong,” Moklong said adding that the department serves as a platform for community participation to air their grievances, problems and short-comings in the intervention programs and to suggest for incorporation of desirous components in the programme.

He said that the evaluation department in Nagaland is also planning to have the legislated Evaluation Policy which will include giving priority to public demand evaluation studies of any intervention programmes and schemes.

“Therefore, in order to materialize the vision into practical mission and for the betterment of our state, we would solicit your prayer, moral support and co- operation in our endeavour,” he said.

Evaluation department in Nagaland
Moklong said the proven fact that the ‘No nation prospers without planning and no planning is complete without evaluation” was the driving force towards establishment of Monitoring and Evaluation unit on 14th October 1968. Later, it was upgraded to a full-fledged Evaluation Directorate under the administrative control of Planning & co-ordination department in 1973.

The department is headed by a Director with a total sanction strength of 125 staff.

At present, 11 District Evaluation Offices are functional. The post sanction for establishment of newly created district viz Noklak, Tseminyu. Niuland, Chümoukedima and Shamator are still awaited, he said.

Despite the less technical man-power, the department has successfully published 67 evaluation reports on various intervention programmes which are available in the public domain.

At present, the department undertake state level study, district specific study, demand based study, review study and monitoring.

Stating that absence of follow-up action on the findings of the study report defeats the whole purpose of conducting evaluation study, he said “Therefore, review study is undertaken to examine whether the findings, impact and suggestion made earlier still hold true and whether any follow-up action has been taken by the department concerned.”

Meanwhile, the Joint Director appealed all the stakeholders and beneficiaries to be honest and truthful while responding to the queries of the interviewers during evaluation studies.

“Deviation from factual facts and figures are not solicited as it hinders the program initiators and the implementing agencies to take the rightful corrective measures,” he added.

The programme was chaired by Joint Director, Z Renchamo Odyuo while vote of thanks was proposed by evaluation officer Shellem.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/village-councils-vdbs-of-tseminyu-district-sensitized-on-evaluation-activity-in-nagaland