Delhi government to strengthen Planning Department

The Delhi government on Tuesday approved the proposal of the Finance and Planning Department to revamp and strengthen its Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) unit so as to ensure effective design, development and implementation of government policies.

According to an official statement, besides guiding Outcome Budgeting, this will help the government to conduct independent surveys and evaluations, enable data analysis and assessment of large government datasets.

"The newly created M&E unit will create a government-wide roadmap for effective use of modern tools and techniques in the government for improved policy making and better delivery of public services.

"The unit will also lay a roadmap for the government to join the Open Data movement by making large government datasets open to citizens and researchers," said the statement.

"It is under the present government that such a bold vision for strengthening and modernising the M&E functions of the department has been first articulated, and tangible actions towards the same initiated in the form of a comprehensive Outcome Budget for 2017-18," it quoted Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia as saying.

"This is because our government believes in the fundamental value of data-driven policymaking and the role scientific surveys and evaluations can play in helping elected governments better deliver public services to citizens and with the highest cost-effectiveness," he said.

--IANS

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