By News Desk                                                                                                      

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has rolled out the Remote Appraisal, Supervision, Monitoring and Evaluation (RASME) project in Angola, following a three-day training session in the capital, Luanda.

RASME is a set of real-time digital data-gathering tools and processes that enable the Bank, its clients and development partners to better prepare projects, report on progress and evaluate impact openly and transparently.

Head of the International Economic Cooperation Department at Angola’s Ministry of Finance, Dra Rossana Silva and African Development Bank Group Country Manager for Angola, Pietro Toigo, officially launched the initiative on Tuesday, 22nd November 2022.

Silva commended the initiative and said: “Ensuring open and transparent reporting of our development initiatives is central to our mission. RASME is an important enhancement of our capacity to do this.”

In his opening remarks, Toigo said: “I believe this project can significantly enhance the data collection which we use to assess the effectiveness of our development work here in Angola. It is significant that we are launching RASME in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Angola.”

The Bank Group’s Corporate IT department is helping to deploy RASME in partnership with the World Bank’s Geo-Enabling initiative for Monitoring and Supervision (GEMS) Team – Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV), and KoBoToolbox foundation.

The digital data gathering suite of tools used for the RASME project is based on the KoBoToolbox platform, an open-source ICT solution developed by researchers affiliated with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

So far, RASME is operational in 14 countries across Africa. The scheme will enhance project-related data collection in inaccessible or remote areas, including those with security and logistical challenges, and thus improve the monitoring and evaluation of the Bank’s development projects. It is especially relevant in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, and in zones with instability, insecurity, and logistical concerns.