Burundi: RASME Computer Tool Enables Remote Monitoring and Evaluation of African Development Bank Projects

From 7 to 10 June 2022, the African Development Bank organized a training in Bujumbura, Burundi on the use of an IT solution for the preparation, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of remote projects.

RASME (Remote Appraisal, Supervision, Monitoring and Evaluation) uses new information and communication technologies to optimize the collection, analysis and management of data for the preparation, evaluation and supervision of Bank projects.

The workshop, targeting implementing agencies and experts of projects financed by the Bank Group, familiarized participants with the use of this tool, which allows real-time data collection and provides visibility on developments in the field. Data collection occurs via mobile interfaces, including tablets, mobile phones or laptops, which offers an advantage for projects in remote or hard-to-reach areas. Drones and satellites can also be used to collect data for large-scale projects.

The Bank's Country Manager for Burundi, Pascal Yembiline, welcomed the opportunities that RASME offers to local stakeholders, including team leaders, project implementation units, project beneficiaries, borrowers, government officials, development partners and project staff. He explained that the platform enables progress updates in the implementation of Bank operations and achievements on the ground.

Francis Kohoue, the Bank's Chief Regional IT Coordinator for East Africa, said data collection will be instantaneous and in real time, with all the necessary information on project sites. "This will give the exact status of project progress at the sites, as today we have problems with manual data collection and difficult access in very remote areas. As long as we don't go to the site, we can't know what's happening on the project. With RASME, data can be collected with drones, smartphones and tablets and automatically synchronized with an accessible central platform. From a desktop, you can follow what is happening on the project site without necessarily having to go there," Kohoue explained.

He added that RASME has the advantage of capturing geographical data of the sites. When information is collected on the project, the geographical coordinates, images and videos are also recorded so that we know that the information comes from the actual site.

Ms. Annonciate Nshimirimana, Director General of Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation at Burundi's Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, said that her ministry endorses this solution which, she argued, "will greatly improve the quality of data on operations and thus gauge progress in the implementation of Burundi's National Development Plan 2018-2027.

In closing remarks Denis Ndagijimana, Director of Programming within the Burundian Ministry of Finance, thanked the African Development Bank for its broad support. "We expect great effectiveness and efficiency in data collection, especially since this can be done remotely given the human and material resources that the monitoring and evaluation activity requires," he said.

He took the opportunity to thank the African Development Bank for its multifaceted support to the Burundian government.

The Remote Appraisal, Supervision, Monitoring and Evaluation (RASME) project is a partnership of the African Development Bank's IT Department (CHIS), its regional office for Central Africa on one hand and the World Bank's Geo-Enabling initiative for Monitoring and Supervision and KoBoToolbox teams. RASME is currently being implemented in 12 African countries, namely Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Gabon, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Uganda, and Mozambique.