Analysis of structural and organisational arrangements of monitoring and evaluation status for the public sector in Zambia

Authors

  • Vincent Kanyamuna The University of Zambia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.76.8482

Keywords:

Monitoring; Evaluation; whole-of-government monitoring and evaluation system; development results; diagnostic checklist; LEADS scoring system; accountability; good governance

Abstract

This study was an exploratory investigation of the prevailing status of Zambia’s public sector monitoring and evaluation (M&E) structural and organisational arrangements. As a good governance and accountability instrument, a country’s whole-of-government monitoring and evaluation system (WoGM&ES) is supposed to be functionally operated if it was to offer desired benefits. But how do you properly fix a government’s M&E system? Conducting a rigorous diagnostic exercise on the existing system gives a chance to know what works, what does not work and reasons why. It was the objective of this research to critically bring out elements that required attention and those that needed scaling up as well as sustaining. Using the diagnostic checklist comprised of ten (10) components and the LEADS scoring system, different statuses about M&E structural and organisational arrangements for Zambia’s government M&E system were assessed and analysed. The elements assessed include coordination and oversight; joint sector reviews; working groups; ownership; incentives; and linkage with statistical office; horizontal integration; vertical upward integration; vertical downward integration; and link with projects. The findings have shown that overall, the structural and organisational arrangements (that is, structure & linkages) are weak with a LEADS score of point 2—meaning only elements existed. Further in-depth analysis of intra-component status showed that while other elements were less developed, others were fairly well implemented. The diagnosis results are critical to the Zambian government and its stakeholders in knowing which aspects to improve in the effort to build, strengthen and sustain a stronger WoGM&ES going forward.    

References

[1]. GRZ. Ministry of Finance and National Planning. 2013. 2012 Annual Progress Report for the Sixth National Development Plan 2011-2015: Sustainable Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction. Lusaka: Ministry of Finance and National Planning.
[2]. Feinstein, O. 2011. National Evaluation Capacity: Lessons Learned and a Conceptual Scheme. In: National Evaluation Capacities. Proceedings from the International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities. 15-17 December 2009, Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco. UNDP.
[3]. GRZ. Ministry of Health. Health Strategy (2017-2021). Lusaka: Ministry of Health.
[4]. Kanyamuna, V., Phiri, M., Kanenga, H. & Mulonda, M. (2020). “Role of Actors Outside Government in Strengthening the Country Monitoring and Evaluation System in Zambia.” World Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, vol. 6, no. 1: 22-29.
[5]. Republic of South Africa. Basic Concepts in Monitoring and Evaluation. Public Service Commission, Pretoria, South Africa, 2008.
[6]. GRZ. Ministry of Health. 2017. Human Resources for Health Planning and Development Strategy Framework. Lusaka: Ministry of Health.
[7]. Kanyamuna, V., Mubita, A., Ng’andu, E., Mizinga, C. & Mwale, A. 2018. An Assessment of the Demand-Side of the Monitoring and Evaluation System of the Health Sector in Zambia. World Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018. 4(2): p. 75–86.
[8]. Holvoet, N., Inberg, L. & Sekirime, S. Institutional analysis of monitoring and evaluation systems: Comparing M&E systems in Uganda's health and education sectors. Working Paprer, Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Antwerp, 2013.
[9]. Tania, A., & Ronette, E. Implementing a government wide monitoring and evaluation system in South Africa, 2010.
[10]. OECD/DAC Working Party on Aid Evaluation. 2000. Donor Support for Institutional Capacity Development in Environment: Lessons Learned. Paris.
[11]. Mackay, K. How to Build M&E Systems to Support Better Government. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and World Bank. The World Bank, Washington D.C., 2007.
[12]. GRZ. Ministry of National Development Planning. 2015 Annual Progress Report for the Revised Sixth National Development Plan 2013-2016: People Centred Economic Growth and Development. Lusaka: Ministry of National Development Planning, 2016.
[13]. Kanyamuna, V. Sector Monitoring and Evaluation Systems in the context of Poverty Reduction Strategies: A comparative case study of Zambia’s Health and Agriculture sectors. MSc–dissertation, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, 2013.
[14]. Valadez, J. & Bamberger. M. Organizational and Management Issues in Programme Evaluation. In Monitoring and Evaluating Social Programmes in Developing Countries: A Handbook for Policymakers, Managers and Researchers. J. Valadez & M. Bamberger (Eds.). Washington D.C., 1994. The World Bank: pp. 403–441.
[15]. Kanyamuna, V., Kotzé, D. A. & Phiri, M. “Monitoring and Evaluation Systems: The Missing Strand in the African Transformational Development Agenda.” World Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2019. 5(3): 160-175.
[16]. GRZ. Ministry of Finance and National Planning. Fifth National Development Plan 2006-2010: Broad based wealth and job creation through citizenry participation and technological advancement, Lusaka: Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2006.
[17]. Mackay, K. Evaluation Capacity Development: A Diagnostic Guide and Action Framework, ECD Working Paper Series No. 6. The World Bank, Washington, D.C., 1999.
[18]. GRZ. Ministry of Finance and National Planning. Fifth National Development Plan 2010 Annual Progress Review: Broad Based Wealth and Job Creation through Citizenry Participation and Technological Advancement. Lusaka: Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2011.
[19]. GRZ. Ministry of Finance and National Planning. 2012 Annual Progress Report for the Sixth National Development Plan 2011-2015: Sustainable Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction. Lusaka: Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2013.
[20]. OECD/DAC. 2002. Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management. Evaluation and Aid Effectiveness. Paris, OECD Publications.
[21]. Mulonda, M., Kanyamuna, V. & Kanenga, H. State–Civil Society relationship in Zambia, International Journal of Humanities, Art and Social Studies, 2018. 3(4): p. 17-26.
[22]. Mackay, K. (Ed.). 1998. Public Sector Performance – The Critical Role of Evaluation: Selected Proceedings from a World Bank Seminar. The World Bank, Washington D.C.
[23]. GRZ. Ministry of National Development Planning. 2013 Annual Progress Report for the Sixth National Development Plan 2011-2015: Sustainable Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction. Lusaka: Ministry of National Development Planning, 2014.
[24]. Hlatshwayo, N. & Govender, K. Monitoring and Evaluation in the Public Sector: A Case Study of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in South Africa. Asian Journal of Economics and Empirical Research, 2015. 2(2): 91–99.
[25]. GRZ. Ministry of National Development Planning. Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP 2017-2021), Accelerating Development Efforts towards Vision 2030 without Leaving Anyone Behind (Vol. 1). Lusaka: Ministry of National Development Planning, 2017.
[26]. GRZ. Ministry of Finance and National Planning. National Planning and Budgeting Policy: Responsive, transparent, accountable and results-oriented Development Planning and Budgeting processes. Lusaka: Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2014.
[27]. GRZ. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MAL - Zambia). Agriculture Strategic Plan: 2006-2010, Lusaka: Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, 2006.
[28]. Kanyamuna, V., Mubita, A., & Kotzé, D. A. Is the policy environment for Zambia supportive of a thriving whole-of-government monitoring and evaluation system? Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 2020. 7(1) 542-554.
[29]. GRZ. Ministry of National Development Planning. 2015 Annual Progress Report for the Revised Sixth National Development Plan 2013-2016: People Centred Economic Growth and Development. Lusaka: Ministry of National Development Planning, 2006.
[30]. Kanyamuna, V., Mulonda, M. & Mulele, C.S. Monitoring and Evaluation Legislation in Zambia–Gap Analysis. International Journal of Humanities, Art and Social Studies, 2019. 4(1): 15-25.
[31]. Kusek, J. Z. & Rist, R. C. Ten Steps to a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation Systems. A Handbook for Development Practitioners. The World Bank. Washington D.C., 2004.
[32]. Estrella, M. & Gaventa, J. Who Counts Reality? Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation: A Literature Review. International Workshop on Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (Vol. 53). IDS Working Paper 70. 1997.
[33]. Ostrom, E., Gibson, C., Shivakumar, S. & Andersson, K. Aid, Incentives, and Sustainability: An Institutional Analysis of Development Cooperation, Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University, Sida Studies in Evaluation 02/01, 2002.
[34]. Lahey, R. The Canadian Monitoring and Evaluation System. Prem Notes, Special series on the Nuts and Bolts of M&E systems. The World Bank, Washington, D.C., 2011.
[35]. GRZ. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL – Zambia). 2012. Methodology to Design the Monitoring and Evaluation System for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Lusaka: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
[36]. Leftwich, A. Developmental states, effective states and poverty reduction: The primacy of politics–UNRISD Project on Poverty Reduction and Policy Regimes. University of York, 2008.
[37]. Mackay, K. Institutionalizing of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems to Improve Public Sector Management, ECD Working Paper Series No. 15. IEG World Bank, Washington D.C., 2006.
[38]. Kusek, J.Z. Assessing Country Readiness for Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation to support Results Informed Budgeting. The World Bank, Washington, D.C., 2011.
[39]. Manning, R. Using indicators to encourage development: lessons from the millennium development goals (IDS Bulletin No.1)., 2009.
[40]. World Bank. Assessing country readiness for results-based monitoring and evaluation systems. Prem Notes, Special series on the Nuts and Bolts of M&E systems. The World Bank, Washington, D.C., 2004.
[41]. May, E., Shand, D., Mackay, K., Rojas, F. & Saavedra, J. (Eds.). Towards the Institutionalization of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: Proceedings of a World Bank Conference. The World Bank, Washington D.C., 2006.
[42]. Naidoo, I. Monitoring and Evaluation in South Africa. Many purposes, multiple systems. In M. Sergone (Ed.). From Policies to Results: Developing capacities for country monitoring and evaluation systems, 2010. New York: UNICEF: pp. 303–320.
[43]. Mundende K, Simui F, Chishiba A, Mwewa G, Namangala B. Trends and prospects of instructional material development and delivery at the University of Zambia. Global Journal of Human-Social Science: Linguistics & Education. 20162004.
[44]. Segone, M. (Ed.). Country-led Monitoring and Evaluation Systems: Better evidence, better policies, better development results. UNICEF, Geneva, 2009.
[45]. GRZ. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL – Zambia). Agriculture Strategic Plan: 2013-2016, Lusaka: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, 2013.
[46]. Holvoet, N. & Renard, R. Putting the New Aid Paradigm to Work, Challenges for Monitoring and Evaluation, Discussion Paper No. 2. Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, 2005.
[47]. World Bank. Participation in Monitoring and evaluation of PRSPs. A document review of trends and approaches emerging from 21 full PRSPs. Washington, D.C., The World Bank, Social Development Department, The participation and civic engagement group. The World Bank, Washington D.C., 2003.
[48]. Trucano, M. (ed.). Monitoring and Evaluation of ICT in Education projects: A Handbook for Developing Countries. The World Bank, Washington, D.C., 2005.
[49]. Simui, F., Namangala, B., Tambulukani, G., and Ndhlovu, D. (2018). Demystifying the process of ODL policy development in a dual-mode context: lessons from Zambia. Journal of Distance Education. 2018. Routledge, DOI: 10.1080/01587919.2018.1457946.
[50]. Kanyamuna, V. Analysis of Zambia’s Whole-of-Government Monitoring and Evaluation System in the context of National Development Plans. Doctorate Thesis. University of South Africa, 2019.
[51]. Mubita, A., Mulonda, M., Libati, M., Mwale, N. & Kanyamuna, V. Urban Informality and Small Scale Enterprise (SME) Development in Zambia: An Exploration of Theory and Practice, Journal of Behavioural Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Accounting and Transport, 2017. 5(1): p.19-29.
[52]. World Bank. Improving the Quality of Public Expenditure through the use of Performance Information in Mexico. IEG, The World Bank, Washington, D.C., 2012.
[53]. Holvoet, N., Inberg, L. & Sekirime, S. Institutional analysis of monitoring and evaluation systems: Comparing M&E systems in Uganda's health and education sectors. Working Paprer, Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Antwerp, 2013.
[54]. Simui, F., Mwewa, G., Chota, A., Kakana, F., Mundende, K., Thompson, L.C., Mwanza, P., Ndhlovu, D., and Namangala, B. (2018). “WhatsApp” as a Learner Support tool for distance education: Implications for Policy and Practice at University of Zambia, Zambia (ICT) Journal, 2 (2), 36-44. 2018. http:// ictjournal.icict.org.zm/index.php/zictjournal/article/view/55
[55]. Zambia Monitoring and Evaluation Association. National Evaluation Advocacy and Strategy–2018-2021. Lusaka, 2018.
[56]. GRZ. Ministry of Finance and National Planning. Report of the Final Evaluation of the Fifth National Development Plan 2006-2010. Lusaka: Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2014.
[57]. World Bank. Institutionalising Impact Evaluation within the framework of a Monitoring and Evaluation System. IEG. The World Bank, Washington, D.C., 2009.
[58]. GRZ. Ministry of Finance and National Planning. National Planning and Budgeting Policy: Responsive, transparent, accountable and results-oriented Development Planning and Budgeting processes. Lusaka: Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2014.
[59]. GRZ. Ministry of National Development Planning. National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy (2019-2023): Results-oriented, evidence-based, integrated and well-coordinated Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System for improved development results. Lusaka: Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2019.

Downloads

Published

2020-07-03

How to Cite

Kanyamuna, V. (2020). Analysis of structural and organisational arrangements of monitoring and evaluation status for the public sector in Zambia. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(6), 504–527. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.76.8482

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>