Douglas evaluates work of his own Ministry

Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Douglas Devananda on Tuesday (7th) declared that it was through impact evaluation only, either the success or the failure of the projects launched by the Government could be inferred. Accordingly, by conducting workshops similar to the one held on that day, the State employees could come to know better the service to be rendered to the public and also the contribution made to the country through development projects, launched by their Ministries. The Minister was speaking at the workshop on "Development Evaluation Projects and Programmes" organised by his Ministry at the Mahaweli Centre.

Inaugurating the workshop, Ministry Secretary, M. Sivagnanasothy in his welcome address said that the said workshop was held for the purpose of evaluation of the development projects launched through the institutions under the purview of his Ministry: Industrial Development Board (IDB), National Crafts Council, National Design Centre, Palmyrah Development Board; North Sea Limited and Elephant Pass Saltern, and also to impart a better understanding to those heading the development projects of the objectives envisaged, with the assistance of Executive Director of International Independent Impact Evaluation Group (3ie) Howard White and Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal.

Mr. Cabraal addressing the participants said that the Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development had embarked on an important initiative, an integral component of development projects, and the other Ministries too should follow suit concerning the development projects launched by them.

He also said that the lack of proper understanding of the objectives of the projects by those engaged in them as well as the absence of impact evaluation were the main causes for 80% of the failed projects.

Mr. White, said that his first hand experience was that lack of knowledge prevalent among the people of South Asian and African countries acted as a stumbling block to root out poverty and malnutrition.

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