The Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) received a favorable endorsement from the Regional Development Council (RDC) VI to provide a training and mentorship program for the youth on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) during its Fourth Quarter Meeting on December 13, 2022. The project also ensures the institutionalization of youth participation in nation-building and civic engagement by giving a seat for the youth on the Committee.
Project MINI ME or Mainstreaming and Institutionalizing for the New-generation the Investments in Monitoring and Evaluation is a year-long training-workshop on M&E of government programs and projects for selected youth leaders from educational institutions, community groups, and other local organizations.
To practice their learning and significantly contribute to regional development, the youth leaders will participate in the actual site inspection activities and problem-solving sessions of the RPMC-VI.
“We need to start them young. This opportunity will provide our youth with enabling conditions to develop their knowledge and skills, and contribute to resolving the problems that we face in the region,” RPMC VI Chairperson and NEDA VI OIC-Regional Director Arecio A. Casing, Jr. said.
A special feature of the project is the youth mentorship component that would provide the participants with access to knowledge sharing and partnership opportunities with the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellows and other open government and development practitioners.
As a recipient of this year’s YSEALI Professional Fellowship Program for Governance and Society in the United States, RPMC VI Technical Coordinator Marlon T. Jinon shared his learning on the best practices and initiatives of young people that the region can learn from. “The youth are never too young to lead”, he added.
NEDA-VI as Chairperson and its Project Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PMED) as Secretariat of the RPMC-VI, will oversee the implementation of the project. Member agencies of the Committee are also expected to provide technical assistance to implement programs and activities related to the project.
Apart from YSEALI, the Committee will also partner with the Global Shapers Community-Iloilo Hub, Iowa Ethics and Campaigns Disclosure Board, National Youth Commission (NYC), and other civil society organizations in implementing the project. A technical working group will also be created to determine the project’s screening process and other procedures. (EAMPareja/NEDA VI)
