Namibia Embraces Advanced Technology for Project Management in Development Endeavors, in Collaboration with the African Development Bank (AFDB)
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched a new digital initiative called RASME (Remote Appraisal, Supervision, Monitoring, and Evaluation) to revolutionize the way development projects across Africa are monitored and evaluated. The project, a joint initiative with senior government officials in Namibia, aims to overcome traditional logistical, security, and accessibility challenges by capturing real-time data directly from project implementation sites.
The RASME project is operational in 37 African countries and has trained over 1,880 people, with more than 56,000 data submissions to date. The AfDB’s Corporate IT department leads the technical deployment, working in collaboration with the World Bank’s GEMS and Kobo Toolbox teams.
Recently, Namibia became the 38th country to adopt RASME. A three-day in-person training session was held from 6 to 8 August 2025 for staff from various projects, including the Namibia Agricultural Mechanization and Seed Improvement project, the Development Bank of Namibia, the Namibia Transport Infrastructure Improvement project, the City of Otjiwarongo Wastewater Treatment and Solid Waste Management project, the Water Sector Support Programme, and the Tax Administration Technical Assistance project.
The training aimed to optimize data collection, improve supervision, speed up decision-making, and ultimately deliver more visible development results on the ground. Fidelis Mnyanyi, Principal Regional Coordinator at the African Development Bank, reaffirmed the bank's commitment to supporting inclusive growth in Namibia and enhancing project data management with RASME.
The RASME initiative is built on the Kobo Toolbox platform, an open-source ICT solution developed by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and enhances transparency, accountability, and efficiency in data collection and analysis. The project supports AfDB-funded initiatives across multiple sectors such as agriculture, transport infrastructure, water, waste management, and tax administration.
By leveraging real-time data and ICT solutions, RASME aligns with the Bank’s continental mission of inclusive growth through its “High-5” development priorities. The RASME project addresses challenges in project monitoring, particularly in regions facing security concerns, logistical constraints, or accessibility issues. The initiative improves transparency and accountability while streamlining data collection, ultimately leading to more effective project management and delivery.
- The RASME project, operational in 38 African countries, utilizes technology and infrastructure to collect real-time data from project implementation sites, leveraging solutions like the Kobo Toolbox to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency, particularly in regions with security concerns.
- In Namibia, where RASME was recently adopted, a training session was held for staff from various projects, including agriculture, transport infrastructure, water, waste management, and tax administration, with the goal of optimizing data collection, supervision, speeding up decision-making, and ultimately delivering more visible development results, aligning with the African Development Bank's mission of inclusive growth through its "High-5" development priorities.
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