Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is often seen as a technical exercise about logframes, indicators, and reporting. Yet at its heart, M&E is about people and the change that development initiatives bring to their lives. When used effectively, M&E can weave compelling stories that go beyond numbers, capturing resilience, innovation, and the human impact of development.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) and with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is implementing the six-year Namibia Integrated Landscape Approach for Enhancing Livelihoods and Environmental Governance (NILALEG) Project. A recently concluded field mission in August 2025 highlighted how monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is serving not only as a tool for accountability, but also as a powerful means of capturing and sharing stories of transformation unfolding across Namibia’s landscapes.

Turning Data into Narratives of Change

From Omaoipanga to Ruacana, Okongo, Nkulivere, and the Zambezi landscapes, the recent mission blended field visits, stakeholder dialogues, and beneficiary interviews. More than verifying outputs against plans, it captured powerful stories of how projects are reshaping lives and landscapes.

Nature-Based Enterprises Driving Local Economies

In Okongo and Nkulivere, community carpentry initiatives are turning sustainable resource use into livelihoods. The Omauni Carpentry Centre and the Mutjimagumwe Woodwork Cooperative have been equipped with modern machinery and facilities, enabling them to produce high-quality furniture from school desks and wardrobes to cupboards, tables, and even coffins crafted from locally harvested timber. 

Their client base extends across schools, households, churches, and community institutions, proving that small communities can now compete for contracts once dominated by larger companies. Beyond production, these centres have evolved into hubs of skills transfer, youth employment, and financial literacy, where community members gain knowledge in safe machine operation, financial management, and occupational health practices.

Greening Schools and Restoring Landscapes

Education and environmental awareness are equally thriving. At Maskili Primary School, each learner planted and nurtured their own fruit tree, while the school garden produces vegetables that feed pupils and generate income to meet school needs. This hands-on approach instills a culture of responsibility and environmental care among young learners. The Mpungu Nursery complements these efforts by producing affordable fruit and indigenous tree seedlings to communities that improve nutrition, diversify incomes, and restore degraded ecosystems. 

Livestock Support Strengthening Households

At the household level, NILALEG’s livestock initiatives are building resilience for some of the most vulnerable families. 

In Lusese’s Sunrise and Lesaapale villages, cattle distribution has improved nutrition and household wealth, with families now benefiting from milk, herd growth, and secure livestock registration. In Omwandi, Omupanda, and Otuzemba, goat distribution has been transformative, particularly for women, marginalized groups, and persons with disabilities. Households that previously had no livestock are now managing herds that provide food, income, and manure for crop production. While challenges such as predation, limited water, and scarce veterinary services persist, beneficiaries have illustrated commitment by expanding their herds and even showing willingness to share goats through revolving schemes.

Youth Empowerment Through Restoration and Enterprise

At Rietfontein, the National Youth Service has cleared more than 500 hectares of invasive bush, transforming biomass into charcoal and animal fodder while restoring rangelands. With access to modern machinery, new infrastructure, and training in bush-based feed production, rangeland management, and sustainable harvesting, young people are supplying affordable feed to farmers while gaining practical agribusiness skills.

 At Gemsbok Pan Camps, nearly 300 youth are engaged in charcoal production, combining technical training with entrepreneurship and civic education. Beyond the economic benefits, the camps are fostering social cohesion and reducing anti-social behavior by channeling youth energy into productive, climate-positive activities. 

M&E as a Tool for Adaptive Management

The mission revealed that effective M&E is not only about celebrating success but also about addressing challenges. Water scarcity for nurseries, predation risks in livestock schemes, and market limitations for carpentry projects were documented as learning opportunities. Each challenge came with actionable recommendations, enabling real-time adjustments to keep projects relevant and sustainable.

For UNDP, accountability is essential but so is credibility. When M&E captures stories of people and communities, it builds trust among stakeholders and donors, while inspiring others to replicate success. Stories also create continuity. By documenting what worked and what didn’t, M&E becomes a bridge between projects and policies, ensuring that lessons learned today inform the Namibia of tomorrow.

Looking Ahead

The NILALEG output verification demonstrates that M&E can do more than monitor outputs; it can capture the journey of change. By weaving stories of resilience, empowerment, and innovation, M&E ensures that development is not only measured but also remembered, shared, and scaled.

Across Namibia’s landscapes, where communities are restoring ecosystems, diversifying livelihoods, and building climate resilience, M&E is proving itself to be more than a reporting tool. It is a storytelling tool amplifying voices, inspiring action, and shaping a sustainable future.