Efforts are underway to include young people in shaping how public policies are assessed, with a renewed push for youth empowerment in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as a tool for improving public service delivery.
At the launch of the Development Insights Hub (DIH) and the Young Evaluators Community of Practice (YECoP), government officials and academics underscored the need to embed M&E at the heart of policy design while preparing a new generation of evaluators to support the process.
Professor Peter Quartey, Board Chairman of DIH and Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), said many government programmes in Ghana are not subjected to consistent evaluation, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.
“Every strategy must be evaluated,” Prof. Quartey said at the inaugural ceremony in Accra.
He emphasized that ongoing monitoring and periodic evaluations are essential to identify gaps early and replicate successful outcomes. By equipping young people with M&E skills and certifications, Ghana would not only strengthen its policy processes but also create employment opportunities, he said.
“This initiative is designed to prepare the next generation for the evaluation business,” he noted. “Certified professionals can be deployed across sectors or recommend themselves for roles in both government and private sector programmes.”
The Development Insights Hub aims to train youth to support government institutions and other organizations in evaluating public policies, with an eye on improving efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the use of state resources.
Dr. Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, Head of Ghana’s Civil Service, said the effective integration of M&E into policy design must begin at the inception stage, not after implementation. He cautioned that failure to treat M&E as an integral component of policy making leads to wasted public funds and missed developmental targets.
“When M&E is treated as an afterthought, it becomes ineffective,” he said. “From the start of policy formulation, financial resources for M&E must be secured, and a scientific approach adopted to track progress.”
Dr. Aggrey-Darkoh also noted that M&E data is critical in guiding decisions about whether to continue, terminate or adjust public policies. He stressed that civil servants, including directors and chief directors, are now being held accountable through performance evaluation systems that incorporate M&E outcomes.
He further highlighted the use of a carrot-and-stick approach within the civil service, where failure to meet performance targets could hinder career progression, while high performance opens doors to senior roles.
“Effective M&E is not just about collecting data—it’s about building a culture of continuous learning, transparency, and improvement,” he said. “When young professionals from diverse academic backgrounds are trained in M&E, they bring valuable perspectives that can help fine-tune implementation.”
The Hub also plans to expand its reach beyond Accra, targeting regional and community-level development efforts, which officials say are critical for Ghana’s broader transformation agenda.
By fostering a pipeline of skilled youth evaluators and integrating M&E into all stages of policy design and implementation, stakeholders believe the country can achieve better outcomes and ensure that public resources deliver maximum impact.
