Monitoring and evaluation systems analysis (MESA): Uzbekistan

This report presents findings from the rapid Monitoring and Evaluation Systems Analysis (MESA) conducted to assess Uzbekistan’s systems and capacities for planning, budgeting, and M&E, and to identify ways to strengthen these systems for better evidence use in policymaking.

The MESA tool was adapted for use in Uzbekistan and the team interviewed national stakeholders in Tashkent and regional stakeholders in Samarkand in June 2023.

"Government has recognised that it lacks strong frameworks for strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and that there is a need to develop robust mechanisms to monitor progress against the Development Strategy for a New Uzbekistan (DSNU) 2022-2026 targets, to track outcomes and impacts of policies and programmes, to facilitate decision-making and achieving results."

The report identified "a number of systemic problems and weaknesses that hamper effective monitoring and evaluation of plans and reforms." Short-term recommendations were provided by the MESA team and focused on building an interest in effective M&E. Medium-term recommendations included:

• Learning from successful models.
• Planning for longer and more rigorous evaluations.
• Strengthening demand for evidence from Parliament.
• Enhancing the usefulness of monitoring efforts.
• Running evidence-based policymaking courses.
• Identifying and supporting incentives for undertaking and using M&E evidence.
• Developing a phased approach to implementing comprehensive evaluation systems across government.