By Mamadou Edrisa Njie
The Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) is expected to be evaluated by the Independent Evaluation Unit of the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Geneva, from 7th – 18th October, 2019, Mansa Banko Online can report.
The evaluation team comprises an international consultant, Dr. Ganesh Rauniyar and a national consultant, Mr. Momodou Sowe. Both consultants would meet selected implementing partners to discuss with them the project’s implementation since its launching.
It could be refreshed that the YEP project, launched in February, 2017, is a EU-funded flagship project of the Republic of The Gambia implemented by the International Trade Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment and the Ministry of Youth and Sports with the objective to improve skills, create jobs and generate income for Gambian youths.
The project has a five-year life-span, and now having reached its midpoint of implementation, YEP is due for an independent midterm evaluation, to be carried out by an international expert supported by a national consultant, Mansa Banko Online understands.
The main purpose of the midterm evaluation is to assess the extent to which the project is achieving its intended results.
In line with the Description of Action of the agreement signed by ITC and the EU, and the Terms of Reference adopted by the Project’s Steering Committee, the main objectives are to: Assess to what extent the project has progressed towards achieving its intended results and provide an indication of the extent to which may achieve the intended impact (summative component).
Mansa Banko Online has confirmed through an official letter from YEP, that the midterm evaluation will also serve as a basis for solving any problems identified during the evaluation by providing recommendations for remedial actions where the project might not be on track (that’s the formative component).
In addition, the evaluation is expected to provide lessons learned, identify good practices and verify the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, potential for impact and potential sustainability.
This medium has gathered that the following project stakeholders have been identified to take part in the evaluation viz; the Gambia’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE); Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS); the National Youth Council (NYC); European Union (EU) Banjul Office; The Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI); Gambia Investment Export Promotion (GIEPA); Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI); the Global Youth Innovation Network-Gambia Chapter (GYIN Gambia Chapter); the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zussammenarbeit (GIZ); the Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr (IMVF); and Belgian Development Agency-Enable.
The evaluators will also be meeting YEP project beneficiaries in Central River, Lower River and West Coast Regions, respectively.
