Provide project updates, NGOs told

 Dowa district commissioner Alex Mdooko has asked non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the district to adhere to providing updated reports to the council on their projects to facilitate easy monitoring and evaluation.

He said this on Monday during a District Executive Committee meeting.

Mdooko said other NGOs work in isolation once their projects are approved in the district.

He said: “The first thing to understand is that we are all partners and we have the same goal of developing the district. However, we are seeing a gap mainly in terms of appraising the council on the progress of projects.

“This is uncalled for because we need to be on the same page.”

Mdooko said sharing updates provides opportunities such as sharing technical expertise and assistance when projects are facing some challenges.

Dowa District Council director of administration Geoffrey Mwafongo said failure to present project reports might result in duplication of efforts.

“Reports provide a chance to know what is being done in a particular area and provide an insight into what and where to implement an intervention. Without reports, we may end up duplicating work, thereby wasting resources,” he said.

Dowa Community-Based Organisations chairperson Maxwell Kadutsa urged organisations to update the council on projects.

“Sharing reports creates a good working relationship in terms of trust and transparency,” he said