Story
02 July 2026
Stakeholders advance Spotlight Initiative's monitoring and evaluation.
About 40 participants including programme staff, M&E specialists, government representatives, district officials, civil society actors, women’s and youth networks, and implementing partners, gathered in Bo from 23–26 June for a four-day workshop to review the Spotlight Initiative’s Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (PMER) Framework for 2026–2028. The stakeholders drawn from Moyamba, Falaba, Kailahun, and Freetown also co-created practical tools and a roll-out plan to strengthen programme accountability and impact. The PMER approach emphasises participatory monitoring, fostering accountability, generating locally valid evidence, and reinforcing community ownership, critical for sustainable shifts in social norms and survivor-centred service delivery. By linking qualitative change stories to indicators, implementers gain deeper insights into what works, for whom, and why. Sessions combined technical review with hands-on practice, equipping participants to design participatory tools that capture both quantitative outcomes and lived experiences. A key highlight was the introduction and practical application of the Community Score Card (CSC), a social accountability tool that enhances dialogue between service providers and communities. Through role-playing and exercises, participants learned to facilitate CSC processes, develop scoring criteria aligned with service standards, and use community feedback to improve service quality and responsiveness for women and girls. Opening the workshop, Spotlight Initiative Coordinator Ken Otieno underscored the power of collaboration: “This workshop has provided an opportunity for stakeholders to review our progress, strengthen our monitoring systems, and build a shared commitment to delivering quality services that leave no woman and girl behind.” Reflecting on community empowerment, Gaspar Guevo, Male Chiefdom Administration Officer from Kailahun District, emphasised: “If we empower our communities, especially women and girls, and monitor this programme effectively, they will be able to speak up, stand for themselves, and help end violence.”Beyond technical discussions, the workshop reaffirmed that effective monitoring is ultimately about improving lives. By strengthening evidence generation, accountability, and community participation, the Spotlight Initiative is better positioned to ensure programmes respond to the needs and voices of women and girls while delivering measurable and lasting results. The Spotlight Initiative is a four-year joint UN programme operating nationally and locally, with priority interventions in Falaba, Moyamba, and Kailahun. It works to strengthen legal and institutional frameworks, shift harmful social norms, reinforce survivor-centred responses, and amplify advocacy by civil society and women’s movements.
