nÃo hà / Este estudo investigou a implantaÃÃo e atuaÃÃo do Sistema de Monitoramento e AvaliaÃÃo do Programa Seguro-Desemprego na geraÃÃo de informaÃÃes articuladas com a gestÃo do programa. Sabe-se que a avaliaÃÃo sistemÃtica, contÃnua e eficaz surge como ferramenta gerencial poderosa, fornecendo aos formuladores de polÃticas pÃblicas e aos gestores de programas condiÃÃes para aumentar a eficiÃncia e a efetividade dos recursos aplicados em aÃÃes sociais. Todavia, faz-se necessÃrio avanÃar na teorizaÃÃo da prÃtica e buscar os consensos necessÃrios à constituiÃÃo de um encadeamento lÃgico do programa, que leve à elaboraÃÃo de instrumentos e procedimentos de mensuraÃÃo e observaÃÃo das suas atividades, resultados e impactos. Este estudo traz o seu mÃrito jà em sua concepÃÃo, pois percebeu que a Universidade, por meio da pesquisa, em termos prÃticos, pode e deve contribuir para aumentar a produtividade e a efetividade das organizaÃÃes governamentais e disponibilizar ferramentas, modelos e metodologias que sirvam de referÃncia para a melhoria da gestÃo pÃblica. O trabalho analisou, passo a passo, a construÃÃo do Sistema de Monitoramento e AvaliaÃÃo do Programa Seguro-Desemprego; inicialmente, abordando o contexto no qual se construiu o sistema, as condiÃÃes para sua implantaÃÃo, bem como verificando as concepÃÃes de AvaliaÃÃo e Monitoramento adotadas. Depois, descrevendo o modo como foi feita a estruturaÃÃo da base de dados, a construÃÃo de indicadores e o desenvolvimento das ferramentas informacionais. O ineditismo do trabalho à assegurado em dois sentidos: primeiro, na intenÃÃo de registrar, analisar criticamente e discutir um trabalho de pesquisa avaliativa feito pela prÃpria Universidade. Segundo, porque promoveu uma investigaÃÃo acadÃmica interligada com um projeto de parceria existente entre a Universidade e a AdministraÃÃo PÃblica, que se encontra ainda em desenvolvimento. No campo metodolÃgico, utilizou-se a abordagem qualitativa, empregando-se a tÃcnica de estudo de caso, valendo-se ainda da pesquisa bibliogrÃfica e documental para o embasamento teÃrico e exploraÃÃo do tema. No referencial teÃrico, para tratar acerca da avaliaÃÃo de programas pÃblicos e do Programa do Seguro-Desemprego, contou-se com as contribuiÃÃes de autores como: Arretche (2003); Belloni (2000); Chahad (1986, 2002); Cohen e Franco (2012); Cotta (1998); Jannuzzi (2014); Rua (2007); Santos (2012); Secchi (2010); Silva (2000); Talmage (1982); Weiss (1982a, 1982b); Worthen, Sanders e Fitzpatrick (2004); Zylberstajn e Balbinotto (2000), dentre outros. No arcabouÃo teÃrico, o trabalho teceu consideraÃÃes acerca da evoluÃÃo da avaliaÃÃo de programas, tratou dos aspectos histÃricos, legais e contextuais do Programa Seguro-Desemprego e caracterizou o Sistema de Monitoramento e AvaliaÃÃo do referido programa, que està sendo desenvolvido com o apoio tÃcnico da Universidade Federal do CearÃ. Para a discussÃo e anÃlise dos dados, foi adotado o mÃtodo da anÃlise de conteÃdo (BARDIN, 2011). A anÃlise dos dados refere-se Ãs etapas de implantaÃÃo e atuaÃÃo do Sistema de Monitoramento e AvaliaÃÃo no perÃodo de 2012 a 2014. As principais conclusÃes apontam para a perspectiva de que o Sistema de Monitoramento e AvaliaÃÃo do Programa Seguro-Desemprego, uma vez que contribui para o processo decisÃrio e para o aprimoramento das dimensÃes tÃcnicas, administrativas e polÃticas, passe a ser definido como instrumento institucional e adequado para agregar conhecimento e aperfeiÃoar o programa, bem como para redirecionar seus objetivos, quando necessÃrio, ou mesmo para reformular suas propostas e atividades. / This study investigated the implementation and performance of the Monitoring and Evaluation System â SMA of Unemployment Insurance Program â PSD in information developing articulated with the program management. It is known that the systematic, continuous and effective assessment emerges as a powerful management tool, providing to public political makers and program managers conditions to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the resources invested in social actions. However, it is necessary to advance in theorization of the practice and seek the necessary consensus to establishment of a logical sequence of the program which leads to the development of instruments and measurement procedures and observe their activities, results and impacts. This study already brings its merit in its conception because it realized that the University, through research and in practical terms, can and should contribute to increase the productivity and effectiveness of government organizations and provide tools, models and methodologies to serve as reference to the improvement of public administration. The work analyzed, step by step, the construction of SMA of PSD, initially, dealing with the context in which the system was built, the conditions for its implementation, as well as checking the concepts of Monitoring and Evaluation adopted. After, describing how the structure of the database was made, building indicators and the development of information tools. The originality of the work is handled in two ways: first, intention to record, analyze critically and discuss an evaluate research work done by the University. Second, because it promoted academic research connected with an existing partnership project between the University and the Public Administration, which is still in development. In the methodological field, it was done a qualitative approach, using the case study technique, making use also of bibliographic and documentary research to the theoretical background and exploration of the theme. In the theoretical referential to deal with on the assessment of public programs and the Unemployment Insurance Program, included contributions from authors such as: Arretche (2003); Belloni (2000); Chahad (1986, 2002); Cohen and Franco (2012); Cotta (1998); Jannuzzi (2014); Street (2007); Santos (2012); Secchi (2010); Silva (2000); Talmage (1982); Weiss (1982a, 1982b); Worthen, Sanders and Fitzpatrick (2004); Zylberstajn and Balbinotto (2000), among others. In the theoretical reference, the study made comments about the development of program evaluation, has dealt historical, legal and contextual aspects of the PSD and the PSD characterized the SMA, which is being developed with technical support from Federal University of CearÃ. For a discussion and analysis of data, it was adopted the method of content analysis (BARDIN, 2011). Data analysis refers to SMA performing and establishing steps in the period 2012 to 2014. The main conclusions point to the prospect that the Monitoring System and PSD evaluation contribute to the decision making process and the improvement of technical, administrative and political dimensions will be defined as an institutional instrument and appropriate to add knowledge and improve the program, as well as redirect its goals, when necessary or even to reformulate its proposal and activities.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / The buzzword in recent development policy-making is PM&E. The notion is that; participatory approaches have the appropriate remedy to curb the problem of exclusion. That notwithstanding, the approach has become rhetoric in certain quarters rather than practical as admitted by some scholars who hold the principle in high esteem. Inferences from the concept of empowerment as put forward by Narayan (2005), might be the premise for rethinking the debate surrounding the inclusion of beneficiaries in participatory monitoring and evaluation because of its undulation positive effect on project outcomes. Over the past two decades, Ghana has initiated and implemented a good number of national policies and strategies that are youth-centered. The majority of these youth programmes are usually delineated in most public policies on thematic areas such as employment, education, health, among many others. A total of 120 respondents (project beneficiaries) were randomly selected for questionnaire administration, and 1 in-depth interviewed was conducted for this study. Using a Participation Perception Index (PPI), developed to assess the youth perception of the extent to which they were involved in the PM&E, the following were ascertained. It was evident that the youth were only made to actively participate in the data collection (as respondents) process. Evidently, the primary objective of the implementing agency was to secure the youth (beneficiaries) job rather than involving them in the project PM&E. The qualitative analysis also highlighted other critical factors affecting both the implementing agency and the youth (skills or know-how, cost, lack of beneficiaries' interest, non-existence of beneficiaries' associations) to ensure active participation. The study concluded that the end goal of the youth intervention programme is tied into the ideas of project sustainability which can be achieved when the various stakeholders are all on board in the PM&E.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / The establishment of the Dotito-Muchenje irrigation project was an endeavour initiated by the Government of Zimbabwe, to empower local people. It was done to improve the livelihoods of the people. However, despite the launch of the project, socio-economic challenges remain pressing issues. The inability to make decent livelihoods continues to affect rural farmers, resulting in the scheme being unable to be fully-functional. The problems thus undermine the capability of the project to address poverty and inequality, which was core to the project initiation. This research focuses on an outcome assessment of the irrigation project as it relates to the livelihoods of people in the Dotito rural communal area. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used in the study. Twenty-four farmers, out of a possible ninety farmers, were selected to complete questionnaires. Radom sampling was used to identify and select participants. Data collection was done using interviews, questionnaires and observations. Analyses were done using descriptive statistics. Tables and graphs were presented based on the information gathered from the farmers. The research findings show that the Dotito-Muchenje irrigation scheme partly managed to empower the local people. Some of the indicators used include: employment creation, income generation, and changes to the socio-economic livelihoods of beneficiary farmers. However, lack of support and the prevailing economic situation are among the many challenges that make it difficult for the farmers to achieve their full potential in terms of improving their livelihoods. Another challenge relates to water availability. Irrigation pumps at the irrigation scheme use electricity to supply water needed by the farmers, thus there is inadequate water supply. This is because the electricity supply has long been cut-off due to the arrears accumulated by the farmers. It has rendered the irrigation partially functional, resulting in low productivity. The low crop yield makes it difficult to fully address the food security situation for the people. While others blame the situation on the land reform, based on evidence from development practitioners and farmers interviewed, the unsuccessfulness of the irrigation could be attributed to lack of project tracking (monitoring and evaluation) by government. It is in this context that intervention by the government, non-governmental organizations and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, is recommended to ensure the viability and sustainability of the irrigation scheme and facilitate its positive impact on rural livelihoods.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) is an integral part for the success of any government community development initiative as it helps foster a sense of ownership and at the same time promotes meaningful development at grass-root level. The Government of Kenya (GOK), through the Ministry of Regional Development has established Regional Development Authorities (RDA’s) that are mandated to promote development within their areas of jurisdiction by implementing integrated programmes and enhancement of community participation. It is against this backdrop that this research investigation is using Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA) in Kenya as a case study in order to appraise how PME is applied in this process. The people-centred development theory constituted the theoretical grounding of the study, and in addition implementation approaches to PME were discussed in relation to the various project management areas of knowledge. Qualitative methods of research were applied throughout the study in assessing the level of stakeholders’ participation in monitoring and evaluation. A mix of interviews and focus group discussions were utilized. More specifically, individual interviews were conducted with the project beneficiaries/community, TARDA management, project management facilitators, as well as monitoring and evaluation specialists in an attempt to unravel how and to what extent Tana County residents are involved in the monitoring and evaluation process of TARDA projects. Empirical findings gathered from the study were reflected upon through concrete grounded discussions on the contribution of PME in increasing community participation, empowerment and decision-making in various development projects. The research findings also indicated that PME plays a pivotal role in ensuring accountability and transparency of institutions thus creating investor confidence and promoting regional-balanced development. Furthermore, the findings also revealed that an effective PME system gives decision makers an additional public sector management tool, while at the same time building on the capacities of the beneficiaries. Finally, it is proposed that PME should be a standard practice among public sector institutions that embrace PME techniques, also in order to document and share PME experiences for purposes of information generation and future sustainable development.

Since there is limited research on the use of data dashboards in the evaluation field, this study explores the integration of a data dashboard in a knowledge network, the Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services (CRECS) as part of its program evaluation activities. The study used three phases of data collection and analysis. It investigates the process of designing a dashboard for a knowledge network and the different uses of a data dashboard in a program evaluation context through interviews and focus group discussions. Four members of the CRECS team participated in one focus group; two other members participated in individual interviews. Data were analyzed for thematic patterns. Results indicate that the process of designing a data dashboard consists of five steps that indicate the iterative process of design and the need for sufficient consultations with stakeholders. Moreover, the data dashboard has the potential to be used internally, within CRECS, and externally with other stakeholders. The data dashboard is also believed to be beneficial in program evaluation context as a monitoring tool, for evaluability assessment, and for evaluation capacity building. In addition, it can be used externally for accountability, reporting, and communication. The study sheds light on the potentials of data dashboards in organizations, yet prolonged and broader studies should take place to confirm these uses and their sustainability.

Bridges Across Borders (BAB), a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Cambodia, directs diverse and complementary projects to improve the lives of Cambodians living in poverty. The Hand In Hand project (HIH) is one of these projects, implemented in the rural community of Chamcar Bei. This project started in 2006 and is designed to be completely sustained by the villagers after 5 years. One of the four components of HIH is a health component, whose goal is to improve the health of the community. In 2007 and 2008, through these health initiatives, BAB provided the community with 280 ceramic water filters, 20 wells and 10 latrines. BAB agreed to host an internship that would allow me to monitor and evaluate these water and sanitation initiatives. My internship responsibilities included providing advice on future Monitoring and Evaluation (ME) protocols as well as community and organizational identified indicators to gauge the progress of the initiatives. In addition, these protocols were to be gender sensitive and able to be sustained by the community. For the internship I conducted ethnographic interviews with members of BAB and with members of the community regarding the water initiatives objectives, potential impacts as well as guidance on future initiatives and ME protocols, including indicators to gauge programmatic progress. Cultural explanatory models of disease, traditional therapies and gendered nuances related to water procurement and management were also explored to inform program development. Focus groups and 90 household surveys were used to triangulate data. Findings revealed that organization and community perceived benefits of the technologies, while not in complete congruence, did overlap, allowing for the recommendation of mutually informed ME indicators. In addition, both the community and organization identified salient program and ME issues and proffered solutions. Community ownership and education were not integral components of past initiatives. This compromised sustainability and the community's commitment as well as belief in their ability to care for the technologies. However, the motivation of some community members to acquire ME skills and recognition by the organization of past programmatic errors have paved the way for future community driven, informed and sustained ME protocols.

People all over the world still lack access to safe drinking water service. Those with access experience several issues during the first few years of installation that impede on their overall access. In order to improve water services, not only is a proper decision-making tool necessary, taking into account key factors that impact sustainable water service, but proper monitoring and evaluation is also important in ensuring service for the long term. There are several developed assessment tools used for monitoring and evaluation of water systems post-construction, applicable in various scenarios. However, there are only few tools available to facilitate the decision-making process for stakeholders implementing water systems in the field. Ideally, one tool could be used across various life-cycle stages, like planning (decision-making) and post-construction (monitoring and evaluation). Currently, several stakeholder groups are working in Panama to improve the access of safe drinking water for rural and indigenous populations living in mountainous areas, where spring-sourced gravity-fed community-managed systems are common. Effective sustainability assessment tools including Rural Water and Sanitation Information System, SIASAR in Spanish, provide useful frameworks to create a decision making tool for this development context. This research focused on developing a Decision-Making Tool using three key assessment tools (SIASAR, Peace Corps Panama WASH Index, & Schweitzer’s Sustainability Assessment Tool), field experience, and relevant literature incorporating technical, social, economic, and environmental factors. The Decision-Making Tool was developed to build or rehabilitate a rural spring-sourced gravity-fed community-managed water system and also serve as a practical monitoring and evaluation tool. The tool has a total of 10 indicators and 20 measures used to score various scenarios or alternatives as sustainability unlikely, sustainability possible, or sustainability likely. The tool was successfully applied as a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tool for the rural indigenous community of Quebrada Cacao in the province of Bocas del Toro in Panama. A total of 5 alternatives scenarios with estimated costs, labor expenditure and environmental impact were developed using EPANET and SimaPro to help improve the community’s rural spring-sourced gravity-fed community managed water system. Using analytical hierarchy process with weights set by three stakeholder groups in Panama (Quebrada Cacao’s water committee, Panama’s Ministry of Health, and Peace Corps Panama), these five alternative scenarios were scored using the Decision-Making Tool. As a result, a feasible alternative was recommended for the community of Quebrada Cacao using the developed Decision-Making Tool. The tool was also successfully applied as a monitoring and evaluation tool, providing a baseline to develop applicable alternatives to improve the community’s sustainability score. This Decision-Making Tool fulfills an important gap useful for both planning and monitoring and evaluation. It provides a successful tool for application in Panama for building or rehabilitating rural spring-sourced gravity-fed community managed water systems and for other countries with a similar context. Finally, the tool also considers technical, economic, social, and environmental factors, ensuring a more holistic definition of sustainability when building or rehabilitating these water systems. Overall, this Decision-Making Tool can help reduce the number of people without access to safe drinking water around the world and also help ensure systems function sustainably for the long term.

Thesis (MPAM.(Public Administration)) --University of Limpopo, 2021 / The study investigated the impact of Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System on the performance of government. Cloete (2009) postulates that in 2005, the Executive of the State approved the Government-wide M&E System (GWM&ES) as a broad framework to examine monitoring and evaluation of activities in all government departments with a view to guaranteeing effective executive decision-making in support of execution; advisory evidence-based resource apportionment; on-going policy development; as well as review. This study specifically investigated the impact of the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System to enhance performance in the Office of the Premier in Limpopo provincial government. The common thread according to majority of the scholars and review reports on this system as shown in the literature review of this study is that government’s major challenge is that it is has become ineffective and, in the process, fails to attain the objectives it has set itself to achieve. This is largely on account of the absence of a clear-cut and coherent systematic mechanism that could enable the public sector to evaluate its performance and identify the factors which contribute to its service delivery outcomes and overall performance. In the same vein, the those charged with the responsibility to help assess the performance of government are unable to draw causal connections between the choice of policy priorities, the resourcing of those policy objectives, the programmes designed to implement them, the services delivered and their ultimate impact on communities. In this study the qualitative research methodology was adopted which was utilised to gather data. The findings of this research identified certain factors which undermine the impact of GWM&ES on government performance; the limitations to fully comprehend and integrate the system within the planning processes and above all implement the required institutional arrangements and/or mechanisms so that there is a visible impact and enhancement of the planning regime and service delivery capacity of the various institutions of the state. Although work has since begun in this regard, including the establishment of the Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in The Presidency, an inadequate institutional merger of the M&E and Planning branches in the Office of the Premier in Limpopo in particular, remains an impediment. Following the analysis of the data collected, of which was sufficient to suffice, the study concludes by proposing a set of measures to ensure that the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System has the necessary impact towards enhancing the performance of the Office of the Premier, and by extension, the entire government because the system is not only limited to one institution of the state, but also integrative by design. These measures include, amongst others, that the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System, as a system of systems, should be fully comprehended, adopted and implemented in government. This will inevitably produce the requisite results in terms of strengthening and improving evidence-based planning, policy development and budgeting, and thereby improve the performance of government, and in particular, the Office of the Premier in Limpopo. A replica study in other areas is further recommended to enhance the implementation of the system

Many nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, supported by donors, have increased efforts in their rural water supply programmes within the last few decades. However, these programmes suffer from a range of challenges and problems and, according to recent figures, over half of rural inhabitants in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to safe water supplies. In order to improve the delivery of rural water services, effective monitoring and evaluation can provide support. Uganda has recently been recognised for improving its national programme for rural water supply. Furthermore, the country has also introduced programme monitoring and evaluation. However, these undertakings have not been unproblematic. Based on interviews and a document review, this study identifies challenges and difficulties that Uganda has encountered in developing both rural water supply and the corresponding monitoring and evaluation framework. From an analysis of the results, it is apparent that both the rural water supply programme and the monitoring and evaluation frame-work are constrained by political and institutional factors at district level. As a way forward, it is suggested that the roles and responsibilities currently accorded to district politicians are re-thought. Capacity-building efforts should be expanded, and should encompass other district actors such as politicians and extension workers. Monitoring and evaluation of the rural water supply programme could be improved by strengthening its relevance at district level. While further capacity-building efforts may promote its relevance, monitoring and evaluation could also be developed together with district actors in order to better support district decision-making processes. Such actions could help in overcoming current difficulties, and could lead to better information management in support of the rural water supply programme. / <p>QC 20101124</p>

In South Africa, democracy has brought transformative improvement in the system of governance. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) implemented in the post-apartheid era, has raised the status of the lowest sphere of government, by granting these authorities delegated responsibilities. This sphere of governance is known as local government (municipal government) and in the present context developmental local government is both democratically elected and decentralized. The restructuring of local governance requires municipalities to serve the communities within their areas of jurisdiction. This has brought capacity challenges for the municipalities. They are charged with delivering acceptable standards of services to the residents. The current lack of deliverance is evident in the widespread protests, with community members showing their dissatisfaction with sub-standard service delivery and backlogs. Furthermore, municipalities are required to formulate their own by-laws improve the lives of community members, and to implement their legislative mandates satisfactorily. In order for the municipalities to perform more effectively, a transformative model is necessary. The quality of services currently delivered at municipal level must be reviewed. Monitoring and evaluation are the key elements of assessment which must be undertaken. The rationale behind this monitoring and evaluation is to make the system of governance more effective through an even-handed assessment of policies, programmes, projects, strategies, performance of personnel, and the organization as a whole. For the purpose of this study, the researcher explored the challenges regarding monitoring and evaluation and its impact on sustainable development in Sedibeng District Municipality utilizing the quantitative research approach. A model is proposed for improvement called as Monitoring and Evaluation for Sustainable Development (MESD). / PhD (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014