Abstract
Background: The adoption of outcome-based approaches (OBAs) in South Africa’s public
sector aims to improve accountability, align policy with developmental priorities and enhance
evidence-informed governance. Yet despite comprehensive frameworks such as the
Government-Wide Monitoring and Evaluation System (GWM&ES) and National Evaluation
Policy Framework (NEPF), implementation has remained fragmented and inconsistent.
Aim: This study critically examines the systemic, operational and cultural barriers impeding
the institutionalisation of OBA in South Africa and explores why these approaches remain
policy ideals rather than operational realities.
Setting: South Africa’s public sectors.
Methods: Using a scoping review approach, the study reviewed policy documents, evaluation
reports and peer-reviewed literature. Themes were identified using a structured coding
process, allowing for analytical synthesis of institutional challenges.
Results: Findings reveal persistent barriers, including institutional inertia, limited internal
capacity, fragmented data systems and weak integration between evaluation, budgeting and
planning. Additionally, cultural resistance to accountability undermines the use of evaluation
for adaptive learning and policy reform.
Conclusion: For OBA to be institutionalised meaningfully, South Africa must transition from
compliance-based reporting to adaptive, learning-oriented governance. This includes
integrating monitoring and evaluation (M&E) into fiscal planning cycles and investing in
internal capacity to reduce reliance on consultants.
Contribution: This study contributes to governance scholarship by offering a context-specific
analysis of OBA failures and proposing actionable reforms. It shifts the discourse from policy
intent to implementation dynamics and introduces a revised model for embedding OBA
within South Africa’s developmental state paradigm.