The Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) recently collaborated with the Geo-Enabling initiative for Monitoring and Supervision (GEMS), World Bank and Kobotoolbox to provide training for its staff and other key partners.
Representatives from CDB, as well as other partner entities such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, also participated in the training which was held on September 17 and 19, 2024.
According to an official release, this has strengthened their capacity to use data to ensure more effective project monitoring, evaluation and disaster response.
GEMS uses the open-source software, KoboToolbox, to create customised digital monitoring and evaluation systems to enhance the transparency and accountability of implementation across the project cycle.
To date, the GEMS has been implemented in more than 100 countries, and over 1,100 project teams and 10,000 government staff have been trained across regions.
The CDB’s BNTF is the primary programme for direct poverty reduction in the Caribbean. It addresses needs identified by vulnerable communities in water and sanitation, education, livelihood enhancement, and access and drainage, aiming to improve the quality of life for beneficiaries in its nine participating countries.
