scholarly journals Monitoring and evaluation: The missing link in South African municipalities

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Mello
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Civic Education ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Government Performance ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Training Time ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
Auditor General

The Auditor-General of South Africa reports for the financial years 2012–2013, 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 paint a gloomy picture of local government performance in some provinces. Many municipalities in South Africa are not performing as expected because of a host of problems that include weaknesses in monitoring and evaluation systems. The study preceding this article was qualitative in nature and focused on the Auditor-General’s reports for the 2012– 2013, 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 financial years. Main findings of the study are that municipalities that get clean audits have strong oversight systems and leadership. A further inference is that qualifications of councillors, training, time and remuneration are contributing factors to poor oversight by councillors and political structures. The main recommendations were directed at improving civic education in the nomination and election of councillors, pairing underperforming municipalities with best performing municipalities, improving continuing education for councillors and improving the monitoring of interventions and the transitions after interventions

scholarly journals The emergence of government evaluation systems in Africa: The case of Benin, Uganda and South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Goldman ◽  
Albert Byamugisha ◽  
Abdoulaye Gounou ◽  
Laila R. Smith ◽  
Stanley Ntakumba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
International Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
African Development Bank ◽  
Government Capacity

Background: Evaluation is not widespread in Africa, particularly evaluations instigated by governments rather than donors. However since 2007 an important policy experiment is emerging in South Africa, Benin and Uganda, which have all implemented national evaluation systems. These three countries, along with the Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEAR) Anglophone Africa and the African Development Bank, are partners in a pioneering African partnership called Twende Mbele, funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and Hewlett Foundation, aiming to jointly strengthen monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems and work with other countries to develop M&E capacity and share experiences.Objectives: This article documents the experience of these three countries and summarises the progress made in deepening and widening their national evaluation systems and some of the cross-cutting lessons emerging at an early stage of the Twende Mbele partnership.Method: The article draws from reports from each of the countries, as well as work undertaken for the evaluation of the South African national evaluation system.Results and conclusions: Initial lessons include the importance of a central unit to drive the evaluation system, developing a national evaluation policy, prioritising evaluations through an evaluation agenda or plan and taking evaluation to subnational levels. The countries are exploring the role of non-state actors, and there are increasing moves to involve Parliament. Key challenges include difficulty of getting a learning approach in government, capacity issues and ensuring follow-up. These lessons are being used to support other countries seeking to establish national evaluation systems, such as Ghana, Kenya and Niger.

scholarly journals Anaesthesia and analgesia for dogs and cats in South Africa undergoing sterilisation and with osteoarthritis - an update from 2000 : report

2006 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
K.E. Joubert
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Acute Pain ◽  
Death Rate ◽  
Analgesic Drugs

A survey was conducted in 2000 into the use of analgesic drugs by veterinarians in South Africa. This survey was repeated in 2005 to establish whether the use of analgesic drugs has increased and which analgesic drugs are being used for acute pain and osteoarthritis. The number of sterilisations performed and the number of new cases of osteoarthritis in dogs and cats was estimated. It is estimated that approximately 260 000 cats are operated on each year in South Africa and that 150 000 cats are sterilised. Five hundred thousand dogs undergo surgery, of which 242 000 are sterilised. It appears that the number of surgical procedures performed in South Africa has decreased. The estimated death rate following anaesthesia has remained unchanged at 1:1004. Overall, the use of analgesics by South African veterinarians has increased significantly. Fifty-six per cent of cats and 74% of dogs were given peri-operative analgesics but this increased to 94 % and 84 % after including pre-anaesthetic medications with analgesic properties. The use of opioids (morphine and buprenorphine) and propofol has increased significantly. Approximately 253 000 dogs and 33 000 cats with osteoarthritis are seen by veterinarians in South Africa annually. The recognition by veterinarians of osteoarthritis in cats appears to be poor and is in need of attention. Carprofen and glucosamine / chondroitin are the most commonly used agents for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Details of the drugs used by veterinarians are given. Knowledge of analgesic drugs has increased significantly over the last 5 years. Continuing education is thought to have played an important role in the changes reported in this study.

scholarly journals Gender responsiveness diagnostic of national monitoring and evaluation systems – methodological reflections

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madri S. Jansen van Rensburg ◽  
Caitlin Blaser Mapitsa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Diagnostic Tool ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Capacity Development ◽  
Diagnostic Study ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
National Monitoring ◽  
The Government ◽  
And Gender

Background: This article reflects on the implementation of a diagnostic study carried out to understand the gender responsiveness of the national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems of Benin, South Africa and Uganda. Carrying out the study found that the potential for integrating the cross-cutting systems of gender and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are strong. At the same time, it highlighted a range of challenges intersecting these two areas of work. This article explores these issues, which range from logistical to conceptual.Objectives: This article aims to share reflections from the gender diagnostic study to enable more appropriate capacity building in the field of gender responsiveness in national M&E systems. Developing more sophisticated tools to measure gender responsiveness in complex contexts is critical. A better understanding of how gender and national M&E systems intersect is important to understanding firstly how we can more accurately measure the gender responsiveness of existing systems and secondly how better to engender capacity development initiatives.Method: As part of the Twende Mbele programme, Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEAR) commissioned Africa Gender and Development Evaluator’s Network (AGDEN) to coordinate teams of researchers in Benin, Uganda, and South Africa to collaboratively develop the diagnostic tool, and then implement it by conducting a review of key documentation and to interview officials within the government wide monitoring and evaluation systems as well as the national gender machinery in each country.Results: The study found that the gender responsiveness of M&E systems across all three systems was unequal, but more importantly, it is important to do more work on how M&E and gender are conceptualised, to ensure this can be studied in a more meaningful way. To strengthen national monitoring and evaluation systems, gender responsiveness and equity must serve as a foundation for growth. However, intersection M&E with gender is complex, and riddled with gaps in capacity, conceptual differences, and challenges bringing together disparate and complex systems.Conclusion: A stronger understanding of the linkages between M&E and gender is an important starting place for bringing them together holistically.

scholarly journals Developing And Validating A Measure Of Monitoring And Evaluation For The South Africa Skills Development Context

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-238
Author(s):  
Maelekanyo Christopher Tshilongamulenzhe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
The South ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Development Context ◽  
Skills Shortages

Abstract As nations around the world grapple with the deepening challenge of skills crunch, policies, strategies and interventions are being devised to develop and retain a competitive workforce. South Africa is not spared from the global talent war, and the persistence of skills shortages across most economic sectors makes the country vulnerable economically and socially. Legislative instruments and strategies were formulated and implemented to ameliorate the situation, but scientific evidence suggests a looming crisis due to poor monitoring and evaluation systems regarding the success of these instruments and strategies. This study develops and validates a monitoring and evaluation (ME) scale for the South African skills development context. A quantitative nonexperimental cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from 557 participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software (version 23.0). The findings show that the ME scale is scientifically valid and reliable and can be used with confidence in the South African skills development context. The findings provide scope for a validation study on an independent sample, and an evaluation of structural invariance of the ME scale across sample subgroups.

scholarly journals Attitudes of a group of South African speech-language pathologists towards stutterers and stuttering therapy

1997 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Baker ◽  
Eleanor Ross ◽  
Joan Girson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
South African ◽  
Psychological Problems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Probability Sample ◽  
Student Training ◽  
Random Probability

The present study aimed to examine the attitudes of a group of South African speech-language pathologists towards stuttering and stuttering therapy. Further aims were to investigate whether a stereotype of stutterers was found among these speech-language pathologists, and to determine whether there was any relationship between the attitudes held about stutterers, and the therapists' training and experience. A random probability sample of respondents was selected from the population of speech therapists registered with the Interim Medical and Dental Council of South Africa (I.M.D.C.S.A.). A self-administered mailed questionnaire was employed to realise the aims of the study. The main result of this investigation indicated that almost 50% of the sample of qualified clinicians surveyed, viewed stutterers as a group characterised by specific personality traits and psychological problems. This belief held true irrespective of the number of years of experience working in the field, the time of graduation, the frequency of treating stutterers, or the training emphasis. Implications of these results are considered with respect to student training, continuing education of qualified practitioners and future research.

scholarly journals State and use of monitoring and evaluation systems in national and provincial departments

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Futhi Umlaw ◽  
Noqobo Chitepo
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
Poverty And Inequality ◽  
Comprehensive Survey ◽  
Major Shift ◽  
Persistent Poverty

Since 2009, South Africa has seen a major shift in emphasis concerning monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. This shift was partially stimulated by the South African government being faced with a number of pressures, key amongst which were persistent poverty and inequality and widespread service delivery protests. These pressures resulted ina greater willingness by government to address the poor quality of public services, and other governance problems that needed a greater focus on M&E to address these challenges. This led to the establishment of the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) in early 2010. A comprehensive survey on the state and use of M&E systems in national and provincial government was conducted by the DPME as an attempt to understand the M&E landscape since 1994. The results were used to make informed policy and programme decisions. This paper outlines the findings of the survey.

scholarly journals South African Economic Development in SADC Sub-Regional Integration

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1(J)) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew O. Enaifoghe ◽  
Toyin C. Adetiba
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Economic Relationships ◽  
Apartheid Regime

Following the end of colonialism in the Southern African sub-region, the SADC has experienced a thorough rearrangement with South Africa as the front-runner as opposed to her pre-1994 stance on integration. African regional cooperation has nevertheless been revitalised in some ways as a result of the two major events which started in the beginning of the 1990s that include the abolition of the apartheid regime in South Africa, and the eventual stabilisation of both political and economic relationships in the Southern Africa sub-region. This study employs the use of content analyses to assess the position of South Africa investments in SADC. Through the use ofregional integration, the studyfurther examined various South Africa’s Key Economy Performance since 1994 which are the main contributing factors to South African economic growth; furthermore it looks at her material, commodity and political investment in the subregional integration process to determine if it serves as the strategy for National Economic Development for South Africa.The paper find out thatregardless of South Africa’s economic clout within the SADC region, its Foreign Direct Investment is predominantly from its investment and market penetration of Southern Africa region while maintaining constant economic growth.  

Financial Oversight of the Civilian Intelligence Services in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Africa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
The State ◽  
The South ◽  
Standing Committee ◽  
Financial Accountability ◽  
State Security ◽  
Intelligence Services ◽  
Auditor General ◽  
Financial Oversight

The article assesses the state of oversight of the budget and expenditure of the South African civilian intelligence services (now called the State Security Agency). The roles of various structures, including the National Treasury, the Executive, the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) and the Auditor-General, during the period 1995 to 2014, are examined. The article argues that whilst the system of financial oversight has strengths, there are systemic weaknesses which have resulted in uneven levels of financial accountability over the years. The article therefore proposes that measures to strengthen the system of oversight are needed to improve financial accountability. These include reforming the relevant legislation and providing more robust powers to the oversight actors.

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