Bangkok, 3–4 November 2025 — The SEAMEO QITEP in Science (SEAQIS) delegation, represented by Mr Zuhe Safitra, Deputy Director for Administration, and Dr Apriyagung, Deputy Director for Programme, participated in the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Strategy Implementation Review Workshop held at the Skyview Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. The event was organised by the SEAMEO Secretariat in collaboration with MDF Asia and supported by the ASEAN-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education (SAGE) programme under the British Council.
The workshop gathered representatives from SEAMEO Centres to review the progress of the MEL Strategy’s implementation and find ways to enhance the use of both qualitative and quantitative data within the SEAMEO Results Framework. It acted as a platform for dialogue, reflection, and shared learning on how monitoring and evaluation can better support evidence-based decision-making and programme improvement across the SEAMEO network.
In her opening remarks, Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, emphasised the importance of MEL as a tool to ensure accountability, learning, and ongoing enhancement of programme quality across SEAMEO Centres. The sessions were facilitated by Bart van Halteren, Regional Director for Asia at MDF Asia, who guided participants through interactive discussions, validation exercises, and group work centred on practical MEL strategies.
Throughout the two-day workshop, participants engaged in discussions on the outcomes of SEAMEO’s Monitoring and Evaluation system, explored new approaches to collecting and analysing qualitative data, and reflected on the lessons learned from the implementation process. SEAMEO Centres such as SEARCA, INNOTECH, and SEAMOLEC shared their experiences using qualitative data to measure programme impact, providing valuable insights for improving MEL practices across the region.
An important part of the workshop was the session on gender integration in the SEAMEO Results Framework, presented by Veena Cute-ngarmpring from GIZ, which emphasised including gender-responsive indicators to enhance equity and inclusivity in monitoring outcomes. The workshop concluded with Mr Craig Farmer, Team Leader of ASEAN-UK SAGE, delivering closing remarks and praising all Centres for their active participation and commitment to ongoing improvement.
SEAQIS’s participation in this regional review highlights its strong dedication to improving institutional capacity in monitoring, evaluation, and learning. The insights and perspectives gained by Mr Zuhe Safitra and Dr Apriyagung will help enhance SEAQIS’s internal MEL framework, ensure consistency with SEAMEO’s regional strategies, and bolster the Centre’s role in fostering evidence-based educational development across Southeast Asia.
Written by Zuhe Safitra
