Ensuring that visibility and results of our work in supporting our members in meeting their development aspirations are clearly communicated to members and partners
To ensure the effectiveness of FAME’s programmes and projects, we have a monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework which is integrated into each of these. MEL guides project scoping and design, strategic foresight and planning, resource mobilisation, and performance review of our programmes and projects. Our MEL team provide high-level advice and support on monitoring, evaluation and learning for FAME programmes/projects to enable the division to enhance its development effectiveness to achieve better research and development outcomes. We work alongside the FAME director’s office and SPC’s strategy, performance, and learning (SPL) section to review and develop the FAME business plan and to produce results reports for donors and other stakeholders.
The reviews and evaluations we carry out help us to understand what activities are making a positive difference and producing the intended results or outcomes. This helps us to determine if and what adjustments need to be made to a project or program to achieve the desired outcomes, as well as helping us to identify and quantify the changes resulting from these activities. It is part of an adaptive management approach that allows us to figure out how we stay on course to achieve short- and long-term outcomes, even when faced with unforeseen circumstances.
Our key work areas include:
- Internal MEL Support: We provide internal MEL support to enhance evidence generation on FAME’s work areas and communicate to members and stakeholders, while improving tools and systems, building MEL capability and capacity within FAME. This includes supporting FAME’s plans on post-COVID recovery and emerging work areas.
- Integrated MEL in One SPC: The MEL unit supports and works with the broader SPC MEL focal points led by the SPL section in delivering integrated MEL services
- Communication: We implement FAME’s communication strategy, improving visibility and communication of FAME’s work areas to members and partners; we enhance the communication capacity of FAME staff and the ongoing collaboration and networking with CROP agencies, donors and stakeholders. As part of post-COVID recovery, communication includes cohesive messaging on fisheries and aquaculture in the region.
- Programme Planning: We facilitate, coordinate and oversee high-level stakeholder engagements – such as the SPC Heads of Fisheries meetings and the Regional Technical Meeting on Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture, including the Regional Fisheries Ministers' Meeting. We work with FAME and across SPC in the development of various plans – such as the FAME business plan, coastal fisheries and aquaculture five-year plan, project and programme implementation plans. We also support broader SPC integrated programming and country programming.
The FAME results dashboard is an interactive tool where members and the public can explore results by country, FAME or SPC objective, donor, year, and FAME section. We have also developed a training dashboard which provides information on capacity building activities. This tool is also searchable so you can explore different categories of training and subject areas in different countries, and the breakdown of gender participation in these activities.
Our coastal fisheries report cards engage members in data collection and the reporting process and present a regular update on progress made in implementing The Regional Roadmap for Sustainable Fisheries. These are country or territory level and include various indicators to give an overview of how fisheries are contributing to different goals at a national level. Members can also help by providing input on which indicators they feel would be useful to report on at a national and regional level, for their own reporting purposes.