Abstract:
The role that leadership plays in the process of policy monitoring and evaluation
cannot be overemphasised. As with most human activities, leadership is a central
theme that could initiate and support policy performance and management,
including policy monitoring and evaluation (M & E). Leadership, in this context is
all about the art of influencing people with a view to getting them to strive willingly
towards the attainment of prescribed goals through effective monitoring and
evaluation. In theory, this vision of effective monitoring and evaluation could be
embraced by all spheres of government. The extent to which leadership is working
towards the actualisation of this vision by putting in institutional processes to
support the function across the South African government (national, provincial and
local government) especially in local municipalities is yet to be seen. This article
presents the current status of the institutionalisation of M & E across a selection of
local municipalities, and provides suggestions for improvement.
The argument made is that without strong leadership to institutionalise this culture
of M & E through the translation of the vision and without adequate preparation
and contextual readiness for the implementation of government wide monitoring,
much will not materialise. The article presents and analyses literature on M & E in
South Africa, the extent to which M & E has been institutionalised particularly in
the local sphere and advance arguments for strengthening leadership for effective
monitoring and evaluation in the South African context.
