Genesis to evaluate SA's National Evaluation System
23 January 2017
Genesis, in partnership with UK-based IOD PARC, has been appointed by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) in the Office of the Presidency to evaluate South Africa’s National Evaluation System.
The National Evaluation System is a key mechanism for good governance, public accountability and service delivery through its focus on evidence-based decision making. It creates the framework within which project or programme-level evaluations across national departments and provinces are selected, designed, commissioned and used to inform policies, programmes and projects. A core function of the National Evaluation System is to shape the evaluation agenda, which is done in line the country’s developmental priorities.
The DPME was established in January 2010 with the National Evaluation System a response to the problem of evaluations being conducted sporadically and not used sufficiently to inform decision making. Given the time that the system has been in existence, it is important to understand how it is working, what are the key strengths and weaknesses and which areas need to be revised and strengthened.
The purpose of this evaluation is to assess whether the system is having an impact on the government’s policies, projects and programmes. Genesis will use this evaluation to determine how the system needs to be strengthened to maximise its impact and bring value for money across the South African government.