Abstract
The study focuses on improving the monitoring and evaluation capacity building of the Office of the Premier in the Eastern Cape. The main objectives of the study were:
To assess the strategic location and integration of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) into other management processes and systems.
To develop improved data collection, management and assessment capacity options for accurate reporting by the M&E Unit.
To assess the current competency framework for M&E practitioners in the Office of the Premier of the Eastern Cape.
To develop considerations for an improved integrated M&E capacity building strategy for the M&E Unit of the OTP, and for the Eastern Cape Province, in general.
To develop an improved M&E skills plan for M&E practitioners.
To develop findings and recommendations on the development of a capacity building plan for the M&E Unit of the OTP.
The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection and analysis. The main findings of this study were that, firstly, the Office of the Premier (OTP) M&E unit has the greatest challenge in the area of capacitating and resourcing hence they are unable to conduct evaluations. Some of the key identified skills were lack of evaluation research, statistics, and knowledge and information management skills. Also the non-existence of an M&E capacity strategy and plan resulted in the underperforming of the unit in this area. Secondly, the unit has a high vacancy rate that impacts negatively on their performance of achieving set targets. Thirdly, it transpired that the unit has been hampered by the lack of retaining, promoting and attracting trained and experienced practitioners. Finally, the inaccurate location of and integration of M&E into other management processes and systems delays the processes of decision-making by top management to adopt and effectively execute an M&E framework.
M.A. (Public Management and Governance)