Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, CLEAR-LAC and the CDB advance in their collaboration to strengthen the country’s M&E system

Mr. Andrew Spencer, Mrs. Aarti Bedassie-Maharaj, Mr. Cristian Crespo and Mrs. Camille Spencer (from left to right)

CLEAR-LAC and the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Office of Independent Evaluation have developed a partnership for strengthening evaluation capacities and national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems across the Caribbean. Within this collaboration, CLEAR-LAC´s Executive Director, Cristian Crespo, visited Trinidad and Tobago in March 2026.

CLEAR-LAC and the CDB are working with the National Transformation Unit (NTU) in the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development (MPEAD), Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. During the visit, Mr. Crespo met with Mrs. Aarti Bedassie-Maharaj, Permanent Secretary (Ag.) of the MPEAD; Mrs. Camille Spencer,

Programme Director, M&E of the NTU; held three working sessions with the NTU team; and introduced the Centre and the partnership to representatives of several technical units of the MPEAD.

CLEAR-LAC, CDB and Trinidad and Tobago´s collaboration started with the development of a proposed M&E system strengthening plan, finalized in January 2026. The first strategic goal advanced by the plan is strengthening the M&E ecosystem’s institutional infrastructure. Accordingly, CLEAR-LAC committed and provided technical assistance in March by reviewing a new draft M&E policy for the public sector.

Strengthening technical capacities, building a common M&E language in the Trinidad & Tobago public sector, is the second strategic goal highlighted in the M&E system strengthening plan. In this area, CLEAR-LAC has committed to developing an M&E competency framework and an M&E training curriculum in 2026. Both instruments will be adapted to the country´s context and needs, and include practical approaches for building capacities to reduce the “implementation deficit” – the gap between what is promised and what gets delivered by the public sector. Additionally, CLEAR-LAC will collaborate with stakeholders from the public sector by providing inputs for the creation of a knowledge platform on cross-cutting issues in M&E.

“M&E practitioners in Trinidad and Tobago have repeatedly expressed the need for practical guidance and training across a broad range of skillsets and topics. This engagement around curriculum development and knowledge platform design will enable us to better tailor M&E training offerings and knowledge products directly to the needs of stakeholders from across the system.”

Finally, the plan highlights the relevance of strengthening the use of evaluation. For this purpose, CLEAR-LAC has committed to three initiatives in 2026. Namely, reviewing terms of reference to procure evaluation consultants, providing support for one knowledge-sharing event with the Community of Practice in M&E for Trinidad and Tobago (COMETT) and M&E focal point network during the 2026 Development Evaluation Conference (DEC), and supporting the development of a draft recognition programme and a call for award nominations.

Regarding the collaboration with the CDB and Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Crespo emphasizes, “Strengthening national M&E systems requires a sustained effort. It implies strengthening institutions, individual capacities and creating an enabling environment for M&E. We intend to build a partnership with the CDB and Trinidad and Tobago that not only considers short-term initiatives but also considers a medium to long-term vision to strengthen the country´s M&E system, expecting to project this to the Caribbean.”

In accordance with this intent, the M&E system strengthening plan identifies six initiatives for next phases of the collaboration. This includes the delivery of a customized M&E training program, which is a high priority for Trinidad & Tobago.