Effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation activities at Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation

Abstract

The past five decades have seen the global emergence and growth of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), which has since become a crucial feature and tool in modern-day programme management. The South African government has in recent years embraced M&E in the South African public service, in order to influence and accelerate the achievement of government’s objectives and mandates. M&E is predominantly implemented in South African public institutions to promote effectiveness and efficiency in public service delivery. It is also used to promote transparency in decision-making, spending of public funds, and good governance, by ensuring that all protocols are observed. M&E also assists the government in tracking the progress of its programmes and policies. M&E is a relatively new practice in South Africa, and it is complex and skills intensive, making it challenging to implement. In most cases, poor coordination and management of M&E contribute greatly to poor M&E performance in South Africa. The policy environment is to some extent supportive of M&E in South Africa, as there are various policy documents developed around M&E. The government is actively engaged in the development of M&E policies and trying to find ways to make them work. The focus of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation activities at the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation (GDSACR). The literature section outlined the theoretical framework and the application of monitoring and evaluation both locally and globally. The empirical research explored how M&E is implemented at GDSACR, and how it assists GDSACR in achieving its strategic objectives. The empirical study further investigated how M&E contributes towards the achievement of social cohesion and nation-building at GDSACR. The research links the existing M&E theories to practical implementation of M&E at GDSACR, moreover, establishes intricacies of implementing M&E in public institutions with multiple policies and projects. The dissertation provides an opportunity for GDSACR to revisit its M&E practices and move in a direction in which M&E is the cornerstone of project management at GDSACR. Furthermore, the study further calls for adoption of M&E as a means to learning, and promotion of transparent and accountable governance which reflects in the service delivery standards and good practices to further promote the government agenda of accelerated service delivery.

Mengwagasome ye mehlano ye e fetilego go bile le go tšwelela le kgolo lefaseng ka bophara ga tlhokomedišišo le tshekatsheko (M&E), tšeo di fetogilego setlabelo le sedirišwa se bohlokwa ka taolong ya mananeo ya sebjalebjale. Mmušo wa Afrika Borwa mo mengwageng ye e sa tšwago go feta o amogetše M&E ka Tirelong ya Setšhaba ya Afrika Borwa, ka nepo ya go huetša le go akgofiša phihlelelo ya maikemišetšo le dithomelo tša mmušo. M&E e dirišwa kudu ka dihlongweng tša mmušo tša Afrika borwa ka nepo ya go tšwetša pele go šoma gabotse le ka fao go hlokago mathata ka kabong ya ditirelo tša setšhaba. E šomišwa gape go tšwetša pele go hloka sephiri ka go tšeyeng ga dipheto, ka go šomišeng ga ditšhelete tša setšhaba, le ka pušong ye kaone, ka go netefatša gore ditshepedišo ka moka di a obamelwa. M&E e thuša gape mmušo go latišiša tshepedišo ya mananeo le melawana ya yona. M&E ke mokgwa o moswa ka Afrika Borwa, ebile e hlakahlakane ebile e nyaka bokgoni bjo bogolo, gomme se se dira gore go be boima go e phethagatša. Mabakeng a mantši, kgokaganyo le taolo ye e fokolago ya M&E di na le seabe se segolo go go šoma gampe ga M&E ka Afrika Borwa. Seemo sa melawana se thekga M&E ka Afrika Borwa. Mmušo o gare ka go ngwala melaotshepedišo ya M&E ebile o leka go hwetša ditsela tša go dira gore e šome. Nepišo ya dinyakišišo tše e bile go nyakišiša go šoma gabotse ga ditiro tša tlhokomedišišo le tshekatsheko ka Kgorong ya Dipapadi, Bokgabo, Setšo le Boitapološo ya Gauteng (GDSACR). Dinyakišišo di dirišitše mekgwa ye e hlakantšwego. Karolo ya tshekatsheko ya dingwalwa e akareditše tlhako ya teori le tirišo ya tlhokomedišišo le tshekatsheko go bobedi ka nageng le lefaseng ka bophara. Dinyakišišo tša go diriša bohlatse di utollotše ka fao M&E e phethagatšwago ka GDSACR, le ka fao e thušago GDSACR go fihlelela maikemišetšo a yona a togamaano. Dinyakišišo tša go diriša bohlatse di tšwetše pele go nyakišiša ka fao M&E e nago le seabe ka phihlelelo ya tirišano ya setšhaba le kago ya setšhaba ka go GDSACR. Monyakišiši o dirišitše mokgwa wa go botšiša dipotšišo ka sewelo ka nepo ya go utolla maikutlo le ditiro tša M&E ka gare ga kgoro. Dinyakišišo di utollotše gore maemo M&E ka go GDSACR ga a kgahliše ebile a hloka go kaonafatšwa. Dinyakišišo di tšwetše pele go utolla gore M&E ga e šomišwa kudu ka fao go swanetšego.