The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Francis Kai-Kai has today officially received 40 tablet computers and 14 projectors along with their accessories from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
These items are part of the support UNICEF is providing specifically to strengthening monitoring and evaluation activities of the Ministry. The equipment will serve as an essential tool for increasing service delivery and enabling co-ordinated planning activities.
Speaking on behalf of the UNICEF at the brief handover ceremony at the Ministry’s Tower Hill office, The UNICEF Country Representative, Dr. Suleiman Braimoh said the donation was an indication of UNICEF’s support to the Ministry’s implementation of the Medium Term National Development Plan (2019-2023), stressing, that it needed to serve the intended purpose to effectively deploy capacity in tracking, monitoring and implementing programs that the Ministry co-ordinates.
He said this technology will allow real-time capturing and transmitting data and facilitating very timely analysis of data to produce results that are indispensable to the planning and implementation of development programs.
Receiving the equipment on behalf of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, The Minister, expressed thanks and appreciation for the gesture; noting that “UNICEF has always been very supportive of the Sierra Leone people, especially in addressing children’s affairs”.
Dr. Kai-Kai noted that the Ministry was going to continue working closely together with UNICEF in promoting human capital development which is also central to UNICEF’s work; noting that the Government takes it seriously, which according to him is, “passionately demonstrated by President Julius Maada Bio“.
“The Government is keen and very robust on following up on all monitoring and evaluation activities and we are very pleased that the Monitoring and Evaluation Department has been embraced with the donation of these equipment by UNICEF. This will be useful in effectively carrying out the day to day functions of the department”, the Minister ended. Delivering the vote of thanks, the Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Robert Chakanda, thanked UNICEF in enhancing the enabling working atmosphere for the Monitoring activities of the Ministry; emphasizing on the role UNICEF continues to play around the world. He ended by thanking both teams in working very hard to making the moment a reality.