Monitoring and evaluation in the national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Abstract

Monitoring and evaluation is multidisciplinary. It is interpreted differently and is instituted to achieve different outcomes. In South Africa, monitoring and evaluation is fairly new and as such extensive research on it is required. It enjoys immense legislative support and is implemented by multiple role players as a reform initiative to safeguard the use of limited resources, improve transparency, enforce accountability, and ensure that there is value for money and to improve service delivery to satisfy the needs of the society. Using a quantitative research method in which a research questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of respondents that were selected from the study area, the findings of this study reveals both the areas of effective and ineffective implementation of monitoring and evaluation. Effective implementation is verified by the findings through which the respondents report that monitoring and evaluation processes are clearly outlined, respondents have the expertise to implement monitoring and evaluation, monitoring and evaluation as a critical management tool complements other functions, improves service delivery, enforces accountability, promotes transparency, strengthens internal management processes and improves capacity. Adherence by the department to its financial reporting obligations to oversight institutions using the prescribed procedures is helpful and does not distract it from achieving its objectives. Contrarily, the findings also reveal areas of ineffective implementation, namely, majorities of respondents are not regularly trained on monitoring and evaluation, there is lack of accountability, support and failure by senior managers to prioritise monitoring and evaluation, the monitoring and evaluation directorate is inappropriately located and insufficiently resourced, progress in the implementation of the recommendations that are made in quarterly performance reports is not tracked and there is lack of evidence to support achieved targets.