HISTORY
- The Monitoring & Evaluation Cell (MEC) Planning & Development Department, Government of Sindh, traces its origins back to 1970, when it functioned as the Evaluation Section within the P&D department.
- Recognising the importance of structured monitoring and evaluation, the National Economic Council / Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (NEC/ECNEC), in its meeting held on 7th February 1984, approved the establishment of a dedicated development scheme. Consequently, in 1985, the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) formally approved a development scheme, namely âEvaluation and Monitoring Cell in Planning & Development Departmentâ, with a human resource strength of 08 officers.
- In 1991â92, the Finance Department transferred the scheme from the development to the non-development side. By 1993â94, the Cell was formally integrated as a permanent part of the Planning & Development Departmentâs Secretariat.
- The Cell expanded further between 2010 to 2015, establishing regional monitoring offices in Hyderabad and Sukkur. During this period, 24 new officers were recruited, and ICT systems such as the File Management System (FiLMS), webmail, and the official website were introduced.
- Between 2016 and 2022, MEC strengthened its capacity with the creation of two additional regional offices in Karachi and Larkana, the recruitment of technical experts, and the expansion of its MIS infrastructure. The FiLMS system was upgraded with a dashboard with advanced features such as visit planning, SMS notifications, and GIS integration through a smartphone-based ADP Progress Monitoring Dashboard.
- Currently (2023 onward), MEC continues to play a pivotal role in policy formulation and decision-making. It has introduced innovative tools, including QR code and UID-based Smart Books for the Annual Development Plan (ADP), initiated the USAID-supported P&D Automation Project, and implemented the PCFMS to digitise PC-I to PC-IV processes across all administrative departments. The Construction of regional offices in the Sukkur & Larkana regions has also been initiated, further strengthening MECâs presence and institutional capacity.
- Today, MEC stands as a cornerstone of the Government of Sindhâs development planning framework, ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the execution of public sector projects.