Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, the Monitoring and Evaluation Minister, said in developing the systems and the core functions, the Ministry would seek expert advice and take advantage of their credible resource and knowledge.

The new Ministry was created in January to consolidate government’s activities by ensuring that appointees lived up to set targets and culminate in the overall growth agenda.

Speaking at Evidence to Action Conference in Accra on Tuesday, Dr Osei said in his role as the Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation; he had to demonstrate how the programmes and policies of the government were contributing to improved economy and livelihoods through credible data.

 “As a government, if our actions are not making a huge difference in the lives of our people, then we have to interrogate our relevance,” the Minister said. The two-day conference is on the theme: “Towards an Evidenced-based and Data-Information Policy, Action and Practice in Africa.”

It is being organised by the International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED) in partnership with the Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI), the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Assets and Market Access (AMA Innovation Lab), and Institute of Statistics, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana.

Dr Osei urged the participants to outline clear recommendations on how to ensure that monitoring and evaluation and evidence-based research positively impacted on national and regional priorities and contributed to the attainment of the development priorities of African governments as well as the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

“Indeed, more than ever, there is a need for strong evidence to better inform African government, development professionals, policy makers and development partners,” he said.c   Dr David Sarfo Ameyaw, the Chief Executive Officer of ICED, said the African-based organisation had its major focus for action in the first few years of its existence.

He said the purpose of the Accra Conference was to promote evidence from rigorous impact evaluations and research.   Dr Ameyaw noted that the conference was also to encourage increased uptake and utilisation of research and innovation in evaluation to influence policy to drive change at the national, regional and global levels.

He explained that the conference provided an excellent platform for researchers, academics, private sector practitioners, development agencies, civil society and policy makers to learn, share information and build networks.