Strengthening Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Agriterra started in the beginning of 2014 a trajectory to support and advice farmer organisations in improving and strengthening their M&E systems and processes. Based on an M&E assessment among 23 member organisations and an internal need for a comprehensive, sustainable and acceptable online M&E system, EAFF is in the process of capacity building of its members on M&E and the development of such a system. 

EAFF and Agriterra thus deciced to join forces in supporting farmer organisations in their M&E capacity (when it comes to EAFF members). In addition to the presence of EAFF at two M&E workshops in Eastern and Central Africa, the direct collaboration for the remaining of 2014 focusses on: 

(1) building the capacity of EAFF member organisations in the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of agricultural development programs and projects via training, development of curricula and working groups, and 
(2) developing a M&E system that addresses all the M&E needs of the organization including its projects, operations and sustainability.

The M&E trajectory receives a follow up in 2015 to finalize and  implement the EAFF monitoring and evaluation strategy at secretariat and member level. The strategy includes the digital M&E system developed at EAFF level in 2014. 

So the objective is to: finalize and implement the EAFF Monitoring and Evaluation strategy. The proposal is subdivided into two activities. 

Activity 1: Finalize the EAFF M&E strategy

EAFF will finalize the M&E strategy that has been started, in collaboration with her member organizations. The finalization will be done during a three-day think-tank session involving EAFF staff and a few M&E staff from the EAFF member organizations. 

Activity 2: 
A three national working sessions (Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya) to implement the strategy with selected EAFF member organizations. 

The activity is organised to implement the strategy with the EAFF member organizations. This also entails the formulation of an M&E strategy for the EAFF member organizations. This activity would entail a three-day meeting with selected EAFF member organizations.

Agriterra started in the beginning of 2014 a trajectory to support and advice farmer organisations in improving and strengthening their M&E systems and processes. EAFF and Agriterra thus deciced to join forces in supporting farmer organisations in their M&E capacity (when it comes to EAFF members). In addition to the presence of EAFF at two M&E workshops in Eastern and Central Africa, the direct collaboration focusses on: 

(1) building the capacity of EAFF member organisations in the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of agricultural development programs and projects via training, development of curricula and working groups, and 

(2) developing a M&E system that addresses all the M&E needs of the organization including its projects, operations and sustainability. 

These two processes are based on: 

(1)	A recent EAFF study among the member organisations of EAFF which revealed that the main challenges faced concern a low-level of specific technical know-how, expertise and experience. M&E activities are also seemingly highly fragmented because there is no coordination and supervision from the beginning. The same study established that more than 60% of the staff within our member organisations have never received any form of M&E training within their organisations. Through the same study, 100% of the respondents expressed interest in receiving such training and further M&E support in the future, as part of their collaborative work with EAFF. The study further revealed that although there is a general lack of resources for M&E activities and capacity building, the main problem observed is the low-level of specific technical know-how, expertise and experience (I.e. structures are there but not optimally utilized to mainstream M&E). M&E activities are also seemingly highly fragmented because there is no coordination and supervision from the beginning.

(2)	At present, EAFF conducts all its M&E activities on a project by project basis through the use of spreadsheets and documents (and the USAID Online M&E System). The management, program officers (and projects) do not have any existing institutional system for management, monitoring and evaluation of project processes and activities. Therefore, in order to better aid planning, monitoring, budgeting, reporting, and evaluation at EAFF, there is very urgent need to develop a user-friendly M&E system that is housed and administered at the EAFF secretariat.

Organisation/process

1) training / workshop
This training will be in the form of workshop that will be organised by EAFF in close collaboration with its' member organizations and other partners. It should be a 3 days' workshop where 2 days will be spent on presentations, discussions and knowledge exchanges and the last day to be spent on developing concrete action plans to guide follow-up missions.
Representatives from national farmer organizations and our development partners will be invited from the Eastern Africa region. Facilitators will be invited from the same group (And other relevant stakeholders), to deliver presentations on specific components of the training sessions, while also giving case studies on their PMEL related experience from their various organizations.

A total of 25 participants are expected to be part of this training workshop. Proposed Venue; Kampala (Uganda) or Nairobi (Kenya), because of their central location in Eastern Africa region

2) System 
On the successful completion of the proposed activities, EAFF hopes to have a comprehensive and effective MER system designed and adopted widely within the secretariat and its' member organisations.

Through the training and technical support that EAFF will provide, EAFF also envisions that the MER system will enhance the adoption of a good M&E culture of practise by all EAFF staff and implementing partners in the region. This will ultimately lead to proper planning, implementation and evaluation of all our programs, which will ensure that we undertake relevant and effective projects that will have the intended impacts on the farmers and farmer organisations that we represent.

1) Training/workshop M&E 
The main objectives of the proposed training workshop are as follows;

--> To provide a platform for sharing of challenges and experiences in the PMEL of agricultural development activities in the context of farmer organisations.

--> To train relevant M&E staff from EAFF and its members on basic concepts of M&E, and introduce them to new technologies in the field of PMEL (Specifically, the use of online M&E platforms for data collection and reporting).

--> To establish in-country working groups for farmer organisations through which they can regularly share experiences and knowledge within their specific countries.

Expected outcomes 
Through this M&E training and knowledge sharing exercise EAFF aims to achieve the following general outcomes: 

- All M&E staff (and Program Officers) from within EAFF’s member organisations are effectively trained on the most important concepts of M&E.
- All M&E staff (and Program Officers) from within EAFF’s member organisations are also equipped with basic skills and knowledge on how to use new technologies in the field of program/project PMEL…for example, online M&E systems.
- Country-level Working Groups for continuous M&E knowledge and sharing are established.
- M&E Focal persons are nominated from each of the National Farmer Organisations to continuously champion the cause of PMEL and coordinate in-country Working Groups for knowledge and experience sharing.

2) M&E system 
The overall goal is to develop a sustainable Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) System modelled on EAFF’s four (4) strategic pillars as outlined in their revised Strategic Plan (2012-2020).

The specific objectives of the proposed activities are as follows;

1. To develop an efficient, stable, secure, and comprehensive MER system for EAFF’s management (and member organizations), program, and project needs.

2. To develop a training curricula and manual for capacity building within EAFF and its membership, on the use of the MER system

Expected Outcomes
On the successful completion of the proposed activities, EAFF hopes to have a comprehensive and effective MER system designed and adopted widely within the secretariat and its' member organisations.

Through the training and technical support that EAFF will provide, they also envision that the MER system will enhance the adoption of a good M&E culture of practise by all EAFF staff and implementing partners in the region. This will ultimately lead to proper planning, implementation and evaluation of all its programs, which will ensure that EAFF undertakes relevant and effective projects that will have the intended impacts on the farmers and farmer organisations that EAFF represents.