Humphreys Mdyetseni during the training in SalimaIn a bid to equip some Non-Governmental Organizations knowledge in tracking progress in the implementation of various policies including the National Budget, Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) has trained program officers from various NGOs including CONGOMA on policy analysis and tracking.
MEJN Executive Director, Dr. Grace Kumchulesi to the officials gathered for the training in Salima that there are various policies that have direct or indirect influence on the citizenry that Government implements. It is therefore crucial that the citizens are aware of these policies and how they impact on their lives.
“There is need for people to demand various services from the duty bearers. But they can only effective do that if they are aware of the existence of the policies,” said Dr. Kumchulesi.
“By having knowledge of policy analysis, we will be able to analyze and provide feedback on major policies impacting on the lives of Malawians,” she said citing the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) as one of the most important policies.
The participants took time to analyze the MGDS 3, the development blueprint that Government is currently implementing. The 2019/2020 National Budget, currently being debated in Parliament, was also analyzed to see if it is in line with MGDS 3.
MEJN Consultant and Lead Facilitator of the training, Humphreys Mdyetseni urged the participants to seriously dissect MGDS 3 and note the key roles the NGOs are assigned in this development blueprint.
“NGOs have specific areas given to focus on in the MGDS III. You need to go through the document and identify the roles prescribed for Non-State Actors then chart the right means to take up such roles,” said Mdyetseni.
MGDS III was launched in 2017 by the Malawi Government to guide implementation of various development initiatives for the next five years. The MGDS III has been drafted in line with the global development agenda set by the United Nations under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
During the training participants were also trained in Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys (PETS), an effective and reliable tool in monitoring budget performance through the expenditure angle.