Question

The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) were formed by merging the Programme Evaluation Office and the :

• A. National Development Council
• B. Planning Commission Secretariat
• C. Independent Evaluation Office
• D. Central Statistical Organisation

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Independent Evaluation Office

Overview of DMEO

• The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) was established in 2015 as an attached office under the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India).
• It serves as the apex body for monitoring and evaluation of government policies, programmes, and projects in India.
• The office was created through the merger of two pre-existing entities: the Programme Evaluation Office (PEO) and the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO).

Key Functions and Role

• Monitoring: DMEO tracks the implementation progress of key government schemes and projects, ensuring they align with national development objectives.
• Evaluation: It conducts rigorous third-party evaluations of various central sector and centrally sponsored schemes to assess their outcomes, impact, and cost-effectiveness.
• Data-Driven Governance: The office plays a critical role in promoting evidence-based policy making by providing data-backed insights to the government.
• Output-Outcome Framework: DMEO is responsible for the 'Output-Outcome Monitoring Framework' (OOMF), which tracks the performance of all Union Ministries and Departments against their budgetary allocations.

Historical Context

Prior to the formation of NITI Aayog, the Planning Commission was the primary body responsible for these functions through its Programme Evaluation Office, which had been in existence since 1952.

The merger was designed to streamline evaluation mechanisms, eliminate duplication of efforts, and create a centralized, specialized agency capable of handling complex evaluation tasks across all sectors of the Indian economy.