EFFECTIVENESS OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES AT GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, ARTS, CULTURE AND RECREATION by Shadrack Mlambo Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for degree of Master of Administration In the subject Public Administration and Management At the University of South Africa Supervisor: Professor S.B. Kahn Co-Supervisor: MS S.S. Ntoyanto December 2020 Student Number: 5855 7504 I declare that “THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES AT GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, ARTS, CULTURE, AND RECREATION” is my work and all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of references. …………………… Date …………………… Signature MR S. MLAMBO i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge and express my gratitude to the following individuals and organisations that have played a very important role in the preparation and completion of this dissertation from proposal stage to the completion of this study. • My supervisor Prof S.B Kahn and co-supervisor Ms S Ntoyanto for their guidance, humanity and superhuman support during the entire period of the study. • My uncle Jones Sibindile Mlambo for always being there during good and tough times, had it not been for his sacrifices, I would not be where I am today. • My friend and brother from another mother Washington Mufahothe for the positive pressure he put on me for completing his masters on record time. • My mother Sebongile Mlambo, my sisters Patricia Mlambo, Margret Malatsi and all their children for the support they have given me since from the beginning of time. • My brother Godfrey Setlakala Mzimba for his humanity and believing in me all those years ago, I will forever remain in your debt my brother. • Special thanks to Wallace Chirumiko, popularly known as Winky D. I do not understand a single word of Shona, but I enjoy his music a lot, and I have listened to a lot of his music during this study. Thank you very much Winky. • My friends, Morongoa Peka, Kgomotso Mkhabela, brother Andrew Mkhondo business partners Mandla Mamogale, and Lucky Makua for their brotherhood and support when I need it most. • My colleagues in all the organisations/companies I am involved in, African-Ctrl Corp Services, African-Ballerz Sports Agency, Lebowa Poultry Farmers and Project 2030. • Lastly, I would like to everyone who played a role in my life up to this point. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance by the following institutions; • Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation for welcoming me into the department and allowing me to interview the staff. • The Directorate of Student Funding for their financial assistance. ii 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. iii 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. iv SETSOPOLWA 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 v 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. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY ....................................................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY ................................................... 2 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT ........................................................................................................ 5 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ....................................................................................................... 7 1.5 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................... 7 1.6 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS ................................................................................................. 7 1.6.1 Monitoring .............................................................................................................................. 7 1.6.2 Evaluation .............................................................................................................................. 9 1.6.3 Monitoring and evaluation ............................................................................................... 10 1.7 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY................................................................... 12 1.7.1 Research approach, design and method ..................................................................... 12 1.7.2 Content analysis ................................................................................................................. 13 1.7.3 Document analysis ............................................................................................................ 13 1.7.4 Conceptual analysis .......................................................................................................... 14 1.7.5 Data collection techniques .............................................................................................. 14 1.8 SCOPE OF THE STUDY