PRDP Mindanao wrapped up the Skills Enhancement Training on Data Analytics on May 12, 2023 at the Eden Nature Park, Davao City.

The training, which was spearheaded by the PSO Mindanao Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, was conducted to enhance the data gathering and data generating skills of the RAEB team in the Mindanao Cluster.

The RAEB or the Rapid Appraisal of Emerging Benefits is a tool used by PRDP to evaluate the impact of their subprojects on their beneficiaries through data gathered from focus group discussions, key informant interviews, household surveys, and spot (man-on-the-street) interviews. By employing this tool one year after a specific subproject is turned over, the M&E through the RAEB teams are able to assess if PRDP’s subprojects are able to achieve their specific goals and objectives as well as identify other streams of benefits and challenges throughout their implementation.

It is because of these that the RAEB continues to prove essential as a tool in subproject implementation as the Project enters its next phase in the Second Additional Financing and European Union Co-Financing Grant (AF2-EU) and prepares to begin implementation of the PRDP Scale-Up and the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP), both of which will build heavily on the lessons learned and best practices of PRDP.

PSO Mindanao M&E Unit Head Joseph Rico highlighted the important role the RAEB teams have in PRDP as well as the enhancement of their skills in data analytics.

“We value the role of the RAEB teams in terms of communicating the results, analyzing the data, and telling the story behind the voluminous data that they gather,” Rico said. “Mastering data analytics is important to improve project performance as this is used to generate valuable insights through data visualization to effectively communicate a story behind these data.”

PSO Mindanao Deputy Project Director Noel T. Provido echoed this statement.

“It is important not only to generate data by to transform them into stories that count,” Provido said. “Data should be curated to be made understandable because this is a critical part in decision making.”

National Project Coordination Office (NPCO) Geotagging and Governance Alternate Unit Head Joseph C. Pacon led the training and workshops along with GIS Data Specialists Stephen M. Mangupag and Leo Market F. Baldoz.

With the success of this activity as well as the positive feedback from the participating RAEB teams, the M&E Unit hopes to conduct more trainings and workshops to expand on the knowledge that has been achieved here. ( | )