Conference Proceedings — 4th Tanzania Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Conference, 2025

Abstract

Conference Overview: The Fourth Tanzania Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Conference, held in Mwanza from September 10th to 13th, 2025, represented a pivotal moment in Tanzania's institutional development journey. Convened by the Prime Minister's Office – Policy, Parliament and Coordination (PMO-PPC) in partnership with the Tanzania Evaluation Association (TanEA), the conference successfully advanced Tanzania's commitment to evidence-based governance and development. The deliberations reinforced MEL systems as critical pillars in Tanzania's governance architecture, essential for driving transparency, accountability, and shaping effective policy design and implementation aligned with national strategies including Vision 2025, the Five-Year Development Plan III, Sustainable Development Goals, and Agenda 2063.

Participation and Representation: The conference attracted 1,211 participants—exceeding the target of 1,000 by 21 percent—signifying growing national and international recognition of MEL's importance. Attendees represented a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders: government ministries and local government authorities, regional secretariats, the private sector, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations, development partners and international donors, academic and research institutions, Voluntary Organisations for Professional Evaluation (TanEA and ZaMEA), and Young and Emerging Evaluators. International delegates participated from Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, and Germany, transforming the conference into a regional and continental platform for knowledge exchange.

Central Theme and Deliberations: The conference theme—"Community-Led M&E: Building Local Capacity and MEL Ownership for Sustainable Impact"—emphasized citizen-driven, locally grounded approaches to monitoring and evaluation. Four key sub-themes structured deliberations: strengthening community-led MEL for policy and governance through decentralization and participatory models; digital transformation and innovation leveraging AI, Big Data, and geospatial technologies; climate-sensitive MEL and resilience building; and sustainable MEL financing through multi-sectoral partnerships. These discussions highlighted that meaningful community engagement strengthens accountability, transparency, ownership, responsiveness, and adaptive learning in development interventions.

Key Government Directives and Outcomes: Prime Minister Hon. Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa issued six critical directives addressing institutional gaps: expediting the National M&E Policy to establish legal foundations; finalizing the Integrated Government-wide Electronic M&E System for coordination and transparency; strengthening M&E units with adequate resources, staff, and capacity-building programs; investing in digital innovations and ICT for real-time data collection; ensuring M&E evidence informs government decisions and public communication; and assessing institutional readiness and structural gaps in M&E units across government.

Implementation Progress: The conference noted substantial progress on previous resolutions: four comprehensive MEL guidelines developed; M&E units established across all ministries, 26 regional secretariats, and 184 district councils; training delivered to 781 government officers; and institutional capacity assessments conducted, revealing moderate national capacity (6/10 on the National Evaluation Capacity Index).

Way Forward: The conference formalised continued momentum by scheduling the Fifth Tanzania MEL Week and Conference for Arusha in September 2026, ensuring sustained institutional reform and consistent application of MEL findings in national decision-making.