Institutionalisation of the government-wide monitoring and evaluation system by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency

Abstract

Performance monitoring and evaluation, as a development agenda, has been one of the core drivers and policy imperatives in South Africa, with an increasing acceptance of the need to improve governance, accountability, and continuous transformation in the public service. This affirmation has been realised through the policy pronouncement of the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System in 2005, which was approved and adopted by the South African government for systematic collection and use of performance information to evaluate government performance through programmes. The formation of the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, now called the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency, aimed to coordinate a systemic programme of policy performance monitoring and evaluation across government through the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation policy framework. Key enablers to this mandate have been the development trajectory set by the National Development Plan and the subsequent outcome-based approach, which provided for the alignment of the delivery agreements of ministers with the departmental strategic plans to improve coordination within and amongst departments. This has placed the department at the centre of government to institutionalise the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System through its policy framework, to improve the quality of service delivery, measure results and foster accountability and evidence-based decision-making. Using a systemic document analysis, this study aims to examine the role of the Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation in relation to the institutionalisation of the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System. Further, it aims to examine the practice and sustainability of the system together with the related challenges. Findings confirm strides that have been made and the conducive environment with enhanced capacities, skills development and legislation that has been created for the system. This is with an acknowledgement of the complexities and the elaborate nature of the institutional arrangements and intergovernmental relations across government for monitoring and evaluation, which continue to constrain the delivery environment. As the coalface of services, the local government continues to lag and requires attention. Thus, the recommendations of this study are based on policy, process, and institutional improvement to sustain the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System to safeguard the investments made and meet the demand that has been created.

Ukuhlola nokutjhejisiswa kwezinga lokusebenza njengehloso yetuthuko kade kungenye yeenkhwezeleli ezisisekelo begodu neziziinsika zomthethomgomo eSewula Afrika. Lokhu kubonakala nakuqalwa izinga elikhulako lokuhlonitjhwa kwesidingo sokuthuthukiswa kwendlela yokubusa, ukuziphendulela kanye nehlelo lezamatjhuguluko eliragela phambili lokuphakelwa kwezenzelwa zomphakathi. Lesi siqinisekiso kade safikelelwa ngokusungulwa kwehlelo elinabileko likaRhulumende lokukuHlola nokuTjhejisisa (Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System) ngonyaka ka 2005. Lelihlelo laphumeleliswa belamukelwa ngurhulumende weSewula Afrika ngehloso yokubuthelelwa kanye nokusetjenziswa kwelwazi ukuhlola kanye nokukutjhejisisa ikambiso kanye nomthintela wemizamo yokungenelela karhulumende. Ukusungulwa koMnyango wezokuHlola nokuTjhejisiswa kwezinga lokuSebenza, gadesi osele ubizwa ngoMnyango wezokuHlela, UkuHlola kanye nokuTjhejisisa e-ofisini likaMongameli, wawunqophe ukusebenzisa ihlelo lezokutjhejisiswa kwezinga lokusebenza kanye nokuhlola kurhulumende woke ngokusebenzisa iSakhiwo soMthethomgomo sehlelo likaRhulumende elinabileko lezokuHlola kanye nokuTjhejisisa (Policy Framework for the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation). Abakghonakalisi abaqakathekileko balomnqopho bebafake umhlahlandlela wezetuthuko ondlalwe liHlelo leNarha lezeTuthuko (National Development Plan) kanye nendlela yokuhlaziya edzimelele kumiphumelela evumela ukukhambisana kweemvumelwano zokusebenza zabongqongqotjhe kanye namahlelo wamano wezokuphatha aphezulu, ngehloso yokwenzangcono ukusebenzisana ngaphakathi begodu hlangana neminyango karhulumende. Lokhu sekubeke uMnyango wezokuHlela, ukuHlola kanye nokuTjhejisisa phambili kwemizamo karhulumende yokufaka ngaphakathi kwawo woke amaziko ihlelo likaRhulumende enabileko lezokuHlola nokuTjhejisisa ngokusebenzisa isakhiwo sayo somthethomgomo, ukuthuthukisa izinga lokuphakelwa kwezenzelwa, ukulinganisa imiphumela, nokuqinisa ukuziphendulela kanye nokuthathwa kweenqunto ezidzimelele phezu kobufakazi. Umnqopho werhubhululo bekukuhlola indima yoMnyango wezokuHlela, ukuHlola kanye nokuTjhejisisa malungana nokufakwa ngaphasi kwehlelo likaRhulumende enabileko lezokuHlola kanye nokuTjhejisisa ngokusebenzisa ihlelo lokutsengwa komtlolo. Umnqopho werhubhululo kanti godu bekukuhlola ukusetshenziswa kanye nokusimeleliswa kwehlelo, nokuthola neentjhijilo ezihlobene nokukhanjiswa kwehlelo leli. Ilwazi elitholakeleko liqinisekisa ukuthi imizamo kade yenziwa ukufaka ihlelo ngaphasi komthetho kanti nokuthi isekelo elifaneleko selakhiwe ngokuqinisa amandla, amakghonofundwa wezetuthuko kanye nokwakhiwa komthetho wepalamende ngehloso yokusekela ihlelo leli. Letuthuko yenziwe naphezu kobujamo kanye nobunjalo obubudisi bamahlelo weziko kanye nokusebenzisana kwangaphakathi kweenhlaka zikarhulumende woke ngehloso yokutjhejisisa kanye nokuhlola, eragela phambili ukuqabela ukwenziwa kwemisebenzi. Njengomgogodlha wezenzelwa, umkhakha karhulumende wezemakhaya uragela phambili nokusalela begodu ufuna ukutjhejwa. Yeke-ke, iinqunto zaleli rhubhululo zisuselwa phezu komthethomgomo, ikambiso nokwenza ncono indela yamaziko yokuphatha ngehloso yokusimelelisa ihlelo enabileko likaRhulumende lokuHlola nokuTjhejisisa begodu, ngalokho, zivikela amano namahlelo asele enziwe begodu nakhambisana nokufezwa kweendingo lezo esele ziphumelelisiwe.

Kucaphela nekuhlola kusebenta kahle, njengeluhlelo lwentfutfuko, kube ngulenye yetintfo letibalulekile kanye nemigomo lesemcoka eNingizimu Afrika, uma kubukwa kwesidzingo lesikhulako sekutfutfukisa kwengamela, kutiphendvulela kanye nengucuko lechubekako emisebentini yahulumende. Lesicinisekiso sifezeke ngekusungulwa kweLuhlelo Lwahulumende Wonkhe Lekucaphela Nekuhlola nga-2005. Loluhlelo lwavunywa futsi lwwmukelwa nguhulumende waseNingizimu Afrika kute kugcogcwe ngendlela lehlelekile futsi kusetjentiswe umniningwane wekusebenta kute kucaphelwe futsi kuhlolwe umtselela wekungenelela kwahulumende. Kwakhiwa kweLitiko Letekucaphela Nekuhlola Kusebenta, nyalo leselatiwa ngekutsi Litiko Letekuhlela, Kucaphela kanye Nekuhlola eHhovisini laMengameli, bekuhloswe kucalisa luhlelo loluhlelekile lekucaphela kusebenta nekuhlola kuhulumende wonkhe ngekusebentisa Luhlaka Lwenchubomgomo Yekucaphela kanye Nekuhlola Kuhulumende Wonkhe. Tinyatselo letibalulekile taleligunya tibandzakanya umgudvu wentfutfuko lobekwe Luhlelo Lwekutfutfukiswa Lwavelonkhe kanye nendlela leyalandzela lesekelwe emiphumelweni, leniketela kucondziswa kwetivumelwano tekuphakelwa kwetinsita kwetindvuna kanye netinhlelo temasu elitiko kute kwentiwencono kusebentisana ngekhatsi nangaphakatsi kwematiko. Loku kubeke Litiko Letekuhlela, Kucaphela kanye Nekuhlola phakatsi kwemitamo yahulumende yekufaka Luhlelo Lekucaphela Nekuhlola Lolubanti Lwahulumende ngeluhlaka lwalo lwenchubomgomo, kwentancono lizinga lekuphakelwa kwetinsita, kulinganisa imiphumela kanye nekugcugcutela kutiphendvulela kanye nekutsatsa tincumo lokusekelwe ngebufakazi. Inhloso yalolucwaningo bekukuhlola indzima yeLitiko Letekuhlela, Kucaphela Nekuhlola macondzana nekufakwa kweLuhlelo Lwahulumende wonkhe Lekucaphela Nekuhlola ngendlela yekuhlatiya imibhalo lokuhlelekile. Inhloso yalolucwaningo futsi bekukuhlola umkhuba kanye nekusimama kweluhlelo, kanye netinsayeya letihlobene. Lokutfoliwe kucinisekisa kutsi sekwentiwe umtamo ekufakweni kweluhlelo futsi kwakhiwe simondzawo lesifanelekile ngekutfutfukiswa kwemtsamo, kutfutfukiswa kwemakhono kanye nekwakhiwa kwemtsetfo wekusekela luhlelo. Lenchubekelaphambili yentiwe ngetulu kwebumetima kanye nesimo lesilandzisisako semalungiselelo etikhungo kanye nebudlelwano phakatsi kwabohulumende kuhulumende wonkhe kute kucaphelwe futsi kuhlolwe, lokuchubeka nekubeka engcupheni simo sekuphakelwa kwetinsita. Njengendzawo lapho kuphakelwa khona tinsita, umkhakha wabohulumende basekhaya uyachubeka nekuntengantenga futsi udzinga kunakwa. Ngako-ke, tincomo talolucwaningo tisekelwe ngenchubomgomo, inchubo kanye nekwentancono tikhungo, ngenhloso yekusimamisa Luhlelo Lahulumende Wonkhe

Lekucaphela Nekuhlola futsi, ngaloko, kuvikelwe kusiswa kwetimali lesekwentiwe kanye nekuhlangabetana nesidzingo lesesidaliwe.