Brazilian Municipalities Develop Monitoring and Evaluation Systems with Support from CLEAR–LAB

By the end of this year, three Brazilian municipalities—Anchieta, Serra, and Montanha, located in the state of Espírito Santo—will have a complete framework to create their own monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems for public policies. The initiative marks an important step toward expanding evidence use at the local level in Brazil.

The work is part of a pilot project led by the Espírito Santo State Court of Accounts (TCE-ES) in partnership with the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Brazil and Lusophone Africa (CLEAR–LAB), an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI). The project provides technical support to strengthen local institutions—an approach still uncommon among municipalities in Brazil.

“This pilot project represents a real opportunity for progress. It promotes the collaborative development of diagnostic studies, technical workshops, and a proposal for a municipal policy focused on institutionalizing monitoring and evaluation,” said TCE-ES President Domingos Taufner during the signing ceremony on July 30.

M&E systems help governments track policy implementation and assess outcomes in a systematic, continuous, and evidence-based way. By generating better evidence, they support more transparent public management and contribute to improved decision-making to better serve citizens.

In addition to tailored technical assistance for the three municipalities, the partnership with CLEAR–LAB also included a seminar and a training course on evidence-based management, which brought together public managers from 15 municipalities across the state.

“We’re very excited and honored to work alongside TCE-ES and these municipalities on this initiative, which could serve as a model for other local governments,” said André Portela, professor at FGV EESP Escola de Economia de São Paulo and Director of CLEAR–LAB.

Montanha’s mayor, Iracy Baltar, said she was deeply moved when she learned that her city had been selected to participate.

“I already felt privileged to attend the training course—it was a unique experience. I was very grateful and touched that our municipality was chosen for such an innovative project. We’re committed to making the most of this opportunity and setting an example for other cities,” she said.

In the coming months, TCE-ES and CLEAR–LAB will consolidate the lessons learned from the pilot and develop guidance materials to support future projects. The three municipalities will move into the implementation phase of their M&E systems, testing governance structures, information flows, and priority indicators identified during the diagnostic stage. The partners also plan to expand the initiative in 2026, inviting new municipalities to participate and share the results of the pilot to strengthen local evaluation capacity across the state of Espírito Santo.