This initiative originated in the Presidency and resulted in a proposal being presented to Cabinet for a government-wide system of monitoring and evaluation, which was approved in 2004. The new approach sets out to:
Focus on the essential elements of results-oriented monitoring and evaluation that respond to the requirements of government's programmes, policies and projects for decision-making, accountability and learning
Strengthen the role of the monitoring function within the three spheres of government
Present a more integrated approach to monitoring and evaluation functions in government
Introduce simplified, streamlined and harmonised procedures in line with government's results-oriented framework for monitoring and evaluation combined with practical guidance for the development of selected instruments
Provide guidance on the assessment of results within a clearly defined framework or context of government programme of action and its priorities
Create greater attention to monitoring than in the past, to stress that both monitoring and evaluation are important management functions aimed at ensuring the quality of interventions and supporting decision-making, accountability, learning and capacity development (Presidency 2005).
In keeping with this emphasis on quality and learning, the SIS Strategy envisages fundamental changes in the way that the land reform programme is monitored and evaluated. This will demand much more rigorous appraisal of the indicators of success for the land reform programme as a whole. Currently these are primarily quantitative, namely:
- How many hectares have been transferred?
- What percentage of claims has been settled?
- What proportion of the budget has been spent?
These indicators do not tell us much about the State's return on investment with regard to progressively meeting its constitutional obligations. The Strategy will require new sets of indicators that help assess more qualitative indicators, such as:
- To what extent has the restoration and redistribution of land had developmental impacts and improved the livelihoods of those involved?
- How has land reform contributed to the reduction of poverty and improved the quality of people's lives?
- Once land has been transferred, can we reasonably ensure that people's rights in land remain secure?
- How sustainably is the use of scarce natural resources managed in land reform projects?
- How is land reform impacting on LED?
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