1. Dr Mark Abrahams, University of Cape Town, March 2007
Historical and emerging theoretical foundations for Monitoring and Evaluation in South Africa: Implications for practice.
Dr Mark Abrahams, University of Cape Town, March 2007

2. Introduction
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) relatively new (Louw, 1998; Potter, 1999; Potter and Kruger, 2001; Babbie and Mouton, 2001).
Historical development of programme evaluation in South Africa
The emerging theoretical foundations
Implications for practice.

3. Analytic Framework Shadish, Cook and Leviton (1991); Shadish (2005)
Social programmes and policies aimed at improving the welfare of individuals, organisations and society .
Theory - connotes a body of knowledge that organizes, categorizes, describes, predicts, explains, and otherwise aids in understanding and controlling a topic

4. Questions
What good is a fine evaluation of an important attempt to solve a puny problem?
What good is a fine evaluation of a puny attempt to solve a serious problem?
What good is a fine evaluation of a program that solves a serious problem if the results are not stored and used to ameliorate the problem?

5. Point (s) of departure
Evaluation is just one part of a complex, interdependent, non-linear set of problem-solving activities
Evaluation research is more than the application of methods, more than an isolated academic concern and it operates in the context of the social policy and public administration movements.

6. Five ‘fundamental issues’
Social programming: the ways that social programs and policies develop, improve, and change, especially in regards to social problems.
Knowledge construction: the ways researchers learn about social action.
Valuing: the ways values can be attached to program descriptions.

7. Cont.
Knowledge use: the ways social science information is used to modify programs and policies.
Evaluation practice: the tactics and strategies evaluators follow in their professional work, especially given the constraints they face.

8. Three periods in S.A. Pre - 1994 Post – 1994 1999 to date
Anti-apartheid, anti-government, liberation
Post – 1994
Reconstruction and development
1999 to date
Governance, sustainability, accountability

9. The Drivers The Democratic state International and regional agreements
The Presidential address
Power and accountability
Benchmarking
Legislation – Performance management
International and regional agreements
Millennium goals
NEPAD
Sustainable Development
International Exchange/ globalisation

10. Drivers (cont.) Economic growth Sustainable development Unemployment
Infrastructure and spatial development
HIV/AIDS and other health issues
Equity and redress
Poverty alleviation
Safety and security
Skills development
Climate change and environmental concerns
Civil and ‘uncivil’ society
Free press

11. Emerging theories of social programmes
Programmes are policy-connected interventions underpinned by the Constitution and Bill of Rights
They are constructed with clear objectives, timelines and action plans and resources are allocated to achieve targets
Integrated approach emphasised, recognising the multi-faceted nature of social problems.
Social engineering

12. Theories of knowledge construction
Multi-methodological approach with emphasis on reliable data
Preference for quantitative data
Audit and compliance strategies
Monitoring vs evaluation

13. Theories of valuing Stakeholder dilemma Who are the ‘holders’?
What is the stake ‘steak’ for each holder?
What is at stake for each holder?
Who holds?
Who holds what?
Who suffers?
Who gains
What are the consequences of non-delivery?

14. Theories of Use
Centralising structures (GWM&E) to ensure and enable use.
Advocacy purposes
Early warning systems
Performance measurement
Policy development

15. Theories of practice Objectivity through indicators
Elements of the following
Manipulable solution theory – reducing uncertainty about programme effects
Generalisable explanations theory – knowledge of complex interrelationships among multiple causal determinants
Stakeholder service theory - tailored to information needs of stakeholders

16. Implications for M&E in S.A.

17. Theory of Social Programmes
Anatomy of social programmes (Pawson, 2006)
Intervention as theory
Interventions as active
Intervention chains thickly populated
Intervention chains non-linear can go into reverse
Interventions embedded in multiple social systems
Interventions leaky (change over time)
Interventions are open systems and change the conditions that make them work in the first place.

18. Theory of Knowledge
Ontology, Epistemology and methodology essential topics
Knowledge of causation and generalisation
All methods are potentially fallible
The limitations and potential of the single case study – multiple studies
Parameters that influence the choice of methods

19. Theory of Valuing Prescriptive and descriptive valuing
Agreed upon principles
Standards of performance and measuring performance
Synthesizing results?
Stakeholder interest vs criteria of merit

20. Theory of Use The challenges of instrumental use Promoting use
Facilitating use
Influencing use
Conceptual use of findings
Communicating results
Agreement about use
Multiple stakeholders

21. End here today
Thank you

22. Theory of Practice

23. Historical overview
In 1999, Potter reported that since the 1970s, an estimated R6 billion of overseas and local funding had been used by various NGOs to engage in development projects in various sectors of society, and only a small fraction of these programmes had been evaluated.

24. History cont.
Potter and Kruger (2001) illustrate with a 1998 PsychLIT database (Silverplatter International N.V.) search for references from 1974 to 1997 that produced only “fifteen articles and one book chapter that were indexed under ‘programme evaluation’ and ‘Africa’, out of a total of articles and books that were indexed under ‘programme evaluation’ (p. 192).” Eleven of the articles, including the book chapter were from South Africa, representing less than half a percent of the total available on that database.

25. History cont.
Louw’s (1998) ‘informal’ survey of programme evaluation and the types of evaluations produced in South Africa revealed that qualitative approaches to programme evaluation was the dominant one and experimental, including quasi-experimental designs were present but not in great numbers. He found that most of the work involved formative rather than summative evaluation.

26. Historical Elements of P.E.
Pre 1994
Project Driven
Donor requirements
Mostly formative
Personality driven
Vague objectives
Liberation rhetoric
Dwindling resources
Post 1994
Programme focused
Planning requirements
Clear objectives
Logical frameworks
Policy frameworks
Accountability principles – International agencies

27. Post 1999 Policy - programme relationship
Integration at conceptual level
Accountability structures and frameworks
Need for sophisticated information management systems
Managing development implementation
Large scale implementation
International treaties and agreements
Sustainable development

28. Historical theoretical foundations
Theory of social programmes
Focused projects can bring about desired change
Desired change can be brought about within specified time
Participants involved and eager for the same reasons
Clear lines of contestation/ conflict
Local knows best, as long as people are involved

29. Historical theoretical foundations
Theory of use
Instrumental intent