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Improving the systematic evaluation of local economic development results in South African local government

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Evidence-based policy making and results-based management aim to improve the
performance of organisations, policies and programmes by enabling the accurate
measurement of progress and results required for management and policy
decisions. Within the notion of the developmental state, ‘Local Economic
Development’ (LED) uses the development planning and implementation capacities
of local government to accrue economic benefit to the locality with the aim of
addressing development problems such as unemployment, poverty and market
failure at the local level. While promoting the economic welfare of citizens is a
critical objective of local government, the absence of specific indicators for LED
measurement hampers their ability to successfully determine whether their efforts
are achieving the expected results.
The aim of this dissertation is to promote the systematic and committed evaluation
of the results of LED interventions in South African local governments. As such, it
provides guidelines for an outcomes-based monitoring and evaluation (M&E)
system for LED in South Africa and presents a framework of generic outcome and
output indicators for alternative LED interventions within the context of public sector
monitoring and evaluation.
The dissertation commences with an overview of the history of evaluation research,
the conceptualisation of ‘Monitoring’ and ‘Evaluation’, and a categorisation of the
alternative approaches to evaluation. It further explores best practices in instilling
M&E in organisations, policies or programmes through guidelines for the
development of M&E systems; designing and conducting evaluation studies;
presenting findings; and developing indicators. This later provides a basis for
exploring challenges in the evaluation of LED and proposing guidelines for an
outcomes-based LED system. The policy framework of public sector M&E in South
African government is explored before recommendations are made on the basis of
good practice guidelines from the selected international systems and the World
Bank. The concept ‘local economic development’ is contextualised and its
manifestation in South African policies and practice explored to demarcate the roles
of various role players, but local government in particular, in promoting LED. A review of LED-related literature produced a comprehensive list of potential LED
interventions. These interventions were categorised into business development,
locality improvement, community development, or improved governance
interventions. Specific programmes and projects from practice were summarised
within each intervention. For each of the identified LED interventions, generic
outcome statements and objectives are formulated, followed by concrete contextual
output and outcome indicators. The developed indicators are partly derived from
existing indicators used to measure development results, but primarily developed
from the implied end result captured in the objectives and outcome statements of
each intervention. The LED indicator framework was reviewed by selected M&E
and LED experts for final refinement and comments.
The systematic evaluation of LED results based on well-designed evaluation
studies that incorporate the strengths of the various approaches to M&E can enable
the identification of the most promising, best return-on-investment LED
interventions, as determined by the real, accurate results of these interventions.
This can improve strategic policy and management decisions so as to maximise the
limited available resources for LED and ensure the greatest positive economic and
social development impact. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bewysgedrewe beleidmaking en uitkomsgerigte bestuur is daarop ingestel om die
prestasie van organisasies, beleide en programme te verbeter, deur dit moontlik te
maak om die vordering en resultate soos benodig vir bestuur en beleidsbesluite
akkuraat te meet. Binne die konteks van die ontwikkelingstaat, maak ‘Plaaslike
Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling’ (LED) gebruik van die ontwikkelingsbeplanning en
implementeringskapasiteit van plaaslike regerings om ekonomiese voordele vir die
lokaliteit te bevorder en sodoende werkloosheid, armoede en markmislukking op
plaaslike vlak aan te spreek. Alhoewel die bevordering van die ekonomiese
welvaart van burgers ‘n kritiese doelwit van plaaslike regerings is, word plaaslike
regerings se vermoë om met sekerheid te bepaal of die gewenste resultate deur
aksies bereik is, deur die afwesigheid van spesifieke aanwysers vir die meting van
LED belemmer.
Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is om sistematiese en toegewyde evaluering van die
resultate van LED-intervensies in Suid-Afrikaanse plaaslike regerings te bevorder.
As sulks, verskaf dit riglyne vir ‘n uitkoms-gerigte stelsel vir die monitering en
evaluering (M&E) van LED in Suid-Afrika, sowel as ‘n raamwerk van generiese
uitkoms- en uitsetaanwysers vir alternatiewe LED-intervensies binne die konteks
van openbare sektor monitering en evaluering.
Die proefskrif begin met ‘n oorsig van evalueringsnavorsingsgeskiedenis, die
konseptualisering van ‘Monitering’ en ‘Evaluering’ en kategorisering van
verskillende benaderings tot evaluering. Dit verken beste praktyke vir die
daarstelling van M&E in organisasies, beleide of programme, om daardeur
spesifieke riglyne vir die ontwikkeling van M&E-stelsels, die ontwerp en
implementering van evalueringstudies, die aanbieding van bevindinge en die
ontwikkeling van aanwysers te spesifiseer. Hierdie dien as ‘n basis vir die latere
verkenning van die uitdagings in die evaluering van LED en die daarstel van riglyne
vir ‘n uitkoms-gerigte LED-stelsel. Die beleidsraamwerk vir M&E in die Suid-
Afrikaanse openbare sektor word verken voor voorstelle ter verbetering gemaak
word aan die hand van die beste praktyk riglyne van geselekteerde internasionele
stelsels, asook die Wêreldbank. Die konsep ‘plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling’ word gekontekstualiseer en die voorkoms daarvan in Suid-Afrikaanse beleid en
praktyk word verken om sodoende die rol van verskillende rolspelers, maar veral
plaaslike regering, in die bevordering van LED te onderskei.
‘n Oorsig van LED-verwante literatuur lewer ‘n uitgebreide lys van potensiële LEDintervensies.
Hierdie intervensies word gekategoriseer as besigheidsontwikkeling,
lokaliteitsverbetering, gemeenskapsontwikkeling of verbeterde regeringswyse
intervensies. Spesifieke programme en projekte uit die praktyk word as voorbeelde
van elke intervensie aangehaal. Vir elk van die geïdentifiseerde LED-intervensies
word generiese uitkoms- en uitsetstellings geformuleer, gevolg deur konkrete,
gekontekstualiseerde uitkoms- en uitsetaanwysers. Die aanwysers is tot ‘n mate
afgelei van bestaande aanwysers wat aangewend word om ontwikkelingsresultate
te meet, maar is hoofsaaklik ontwikkel uit die geïmpliseerde eindresultaat soos
vervat in die geformuleerde doelwitte en doelstellings vir elke intervensie. Die
ontwikkelde aanwyserraamwerk wat ontwikkel is, is verder verfyn op grond van
terugvoer vanaf geselekteerde deskundiges op die gebied van M&E en LED.
Die sistematiese evaluering van LED-resultate gegrond op goed-ontwerpte
evalueringstudies, inkorporeer die sterk punte van verskeie benaderings tot LED,
bevorder die identifisering van die mees belowende en lonende LED-intervensies
soos bepaal deur die werklike, akkurate resultate van hierdie intervensies. Hierdie
kan ‘n bydrae tot verbeterde strategiese beleids- en bestuursbesluite lewer en
sodoende die beperkte beskikbare hulpbronne vir LED maksimeer en die grootste
positiewe ekonomiese en sosiale ontwikkelingsimpak verseker.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6645
Date03 1900
CreatorsRabie, Babette
ContributorsCloete, Fanie, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
PublisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
RightsUniversity of Stellenbosch

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