Embracing Transformational Vision That Emphasizes Data Collection and Monitoring and Evaluation to Inform, Improve, and Shape Decision-Making in the Caribbean Region

The Caribbean encompasses an archipelago of islands with stunning beauty, tropical climates, and beautiful beaches. The region faces many developmental challenges caused by small size, undiversified economies, and regular exposure to various climate and nature induced hazards especially hurricanes which continuously impede developmental progress. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the region’s economic quandary, and derailed progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 Agenda. Like many other parts of the world, the region has not yet developed a culture for monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The region’s development progress is also challenged by insufficient evidence-based data, inadequate disaggregated statistics, and dated national statistical systems. In 2019, governments of the region committed and adopted a results-based management (RBM) policy initiated by the CARICOM Secretariat, the most influential regional body. However, four years later, the implementation of this policy is still very much in an embryonic phase. This paper will summarize the current status of M&E in the region, examine the region’s progress towards Agenda 2030, and discuss why transformation thinking is important in the region’s quest for prosperity, resilience, and sustainability.