Abstract
This study focuses on the institutionalisation of the Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) in the Gauteng Department of Education and the Department of Community Safety. M&E reforms are considered powerful management tools for tracking progress and assessing and measuring the efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of interventions. They are becoming more prevalent across both developed and developing countries as an effective public management tool to monitor and evaluate the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes of interventions and to determine the effectiveness thereof in achieving results and improving the lives of citizens. Experience with public sector reform in South Africa in the past has, however, shown the effects of malicious compliance on the implementation of reforms. A similar trend can be seen with the implementation of the MPAT M&E System, where two studies revealed the existence of a dominant compliance culture among government departments during its implementation. An analysis of the literature revealed that very little is known about the influence of other institutional elements on the implementation and institutionalisation of M&E. As such, the researcher aimed to investigate the institutionalisation approach pursued by the Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (implementing department) and the adopting department to determine whether it may have influenced the current compliance culture as experienced. A qualitative case study approach was used to investigate the extent of the institutionalisation of the MPAT M&E System across two provincial departments, namely the Department of Education and the Department of Community Safety. The study revealed that the MPAT M&E System was not fully institutionalised in these departments and further confirmed the existence of a dominant compliance culture in these departments, as revealed in the latter studies. The study also revealed a range of factors that may have influenced the extent of institutionalisation and further offered a critique of the ‘utilisation and learning-focused approach’ employed by the DPME to implement the MPAT M&E System. The study found that the implementing approach at the provincial and departmental levels was in direct contrast to this approach and may have further reinforced the compliance culture in the departments as experienced. Based on the findings, the study proposed recommendations to improve the future implementation and institutionalisation of similar M&E Systems.