Strengthen & enhance capacity to improve monitoring and evaluati in Afristat member countries The main objective of this grant is to: a)Enhance the M&E capacity of AFRISTAT; b)Build the M&E capacity in three of its member countries; and c)Strengthen AFRISTAT capacity to analyze poverty levels and trends, as well as regional integration, regional poverty mapping and macroeconomic convergence. This will be accomplished by implementing M&E tools at both national and regional levels: (a) Implementing Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) tools at national level AFRISTAT will serve as a regional hub for capacity enhancement and M&E tools. deployment by taking the lead in building capacity, transferring the knowledge to the selected member countries, and training local staff. We considered the option of local training to be given in each pilot country.  However, this will have a significant impact on cost, due to the location of existing training facilities that offer the full training package in Dakar and Abidjan only.  In addition, training sessions for each module are given at different dates, and thus, this will incur at least three trips for all the participants. This is why the option of having a single training session in Afristat has been retained.  Adoption of M&E tools, like the Live Data Base and the DataBank systems, will help provide decision makers timely access to relevant information for policy, program and project analysis and for implementation of better government programs. This will ensure better harmonization of national macroeconomic and sectoral information across the region. (b) Implementing Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) tools at regional level This will be achieved by developing an in-house information system that can be accessed and shared by the different member states. AFRISTAT, in collaboration with national statistical offices, will gather information for increased policy debate on strategies to reach the MDGs. This information system will allow all members states to: -Improve collection and availability of MDG indicators. -Produce standardized files and standardized indicators The objective of the Standardized Files and Standardized Indicators is to facilitate the monitoring of social and economic outcomes of national development programs using household survey data. -Facilitate information collection, storage and dissemination among the member countries. Information will be disseminated via Internet using web sites currently developed in each country with the technical assistance from AFRISTAT. 2.   List of expected outcomes at regional and national level    Improved capacity of member states to use M&E tools to assess progress towards MDGs and PRSs;    AFRISTAT increases its knowledge of results M&E principles and transfers it to its member states    Improved decision making regarding national PRS processes, as well as enhanced cross-country comparative performance analysis, which, in turn will create a .competitive. dynamic in favor of best practices in PRSP work and catalyze the fight against poverty.    Increased sustainability of MDG monitoring through the use of new results based M&E skills by trained analysts to manage and work on the results based M&E tools. To enhance the monitoring and evaluation capacity of the Observatoire Economique et Statistique d'Afrique Subsaharienne (AFRISTAT) and build the monitoring and evaluation capacity in three of its member states.