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504

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.6

Publication Date: June 25, 2020

DOI:10.14738/assrj.76.8482.

Kanyamuna, V., Katowa, T., Mubita, A., Kanenga, H., Simui, F., & Kotze, D. A. (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.

Analysis Of Structural And Organisational Arrangements Of

Monitoring And Evaluation Status For The Public Sector In Zambia

Vincent Kanyamuna

School of Humanities and Social Sciences,

Department of Development Studies,

University of Zambia, Zambia

Tiszah Katowa

Government of the Republic of Zambia,

Ministry of National Development Planning,

Lusaka Provincial Planning Unit, Zambia.

Aurick Mubita

Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology

Social Policy, Lingnan University, Hong Kong

Haggai Kanenga

School of Humanities and Social Sciences,

Department of Development Studies,

University of Zambia, Zambia

Francis Simui

Institute of Distance Education,

University of Zambia, Zambia

Derica Alba Kotze

School of Graduate Studies,

Department of Development Studies,

University of South Africa, South Africa.

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

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 6, June-2020

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.

Keywords: Monitoring; Evaluation; whole-of-government monitoring and

evaluation system; development results; diagnostic checklist; LEADS scoring

system; accountability; good governance.

INTRODUCTION

There is evidently increasing pressure for governments and other development organisations to

show results of their work. Mostly, the demand to demonstrate changes in the communities where

development interventions are being implemented has become common debate among

stakeholders within and outside various efforts. Incredibly, beneficiaries are becoming less and less

interested in knowing how much money or materials have been expended on programmes and

projects, most keenly, they press to know what outcomes and impact (actual improvements) those

interventions have caused to the people [1,20,32,34,39]. Thus, they demand for such results as

infant mortality rates, life expectancy, household resilience, access to quality employment

opportunities, and generally reduction in poverty levels. These concerns can ably be addressed by

functional institutional monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems [5,8,11]. It is for that reason that

governments, donors, civil society organisations and other development agencies have embarked

on building and strengthening their systems for M&E. For governments, they have created

‘government-wide monitoring and evaluation systems (G-Wide M&E Systems) or what we term in

this study as whole-of-government monitoring and evaluation systems (WoGM&ESs) [59]. [6,37 &

38] defines a WoGM&ES as a robust system that not only provides an integrated and all- encompassing framework of M&E practices, principles and standards to be used throughout

government institutional structures, but also functions as an apex-level system for information and

draws from the component systems in a framework meant to deliver essential M&E products

tailored to satisfy information needs of users.

Further, [24,42 & 48] considers an M&E system as an institutional or organisational set-up

comprising management plans, processes, strategies, information systems, indicators, reporting

lines, standards and accountability relationships, which allow development structures at national

and provincial or regional levels such as departments, municipalities and other institutions to

effectively perform their M&E functions. As can be deduced from the definitions, a WoGM&ES is

complex and takes a comprehensive understanding of its different components if workable

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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.76.8482 506

Kanyamuna, V., Katowa, T., Mubita, A., Kanenga, H., Simui, F., & Kotze, D. A. (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.

improvements had to be made and sustained. To the M&E practitioners and indeed those seeking

further research in evaluation studies particularly in public sector management, efforts to unpack

the elements that form a functional country system for M&E becomes crucial for learning and

improvement [8,45,50].

In both theory and practice regarding building, strengthening and sustaining stronger WoGM&ESs,

stakeholders have come to appreciate that rather than approaching the undertaking from a holistic

perspective, it is pragmatic to segment aspects of M&E and analytically scrutinize what works, what

does not work and appreciate reasons why. Government and non-state actors together have come

to some consensus that WoGM&ESs are structurally and organisationally complex and differ from

one country to another, and from one generation across to another [3,17]. Thus, to strengthen these

systems, a proper understanding and deeper insights about what different structural and

organisational components there are becomes inevitable to undertake by those who seek to provide

remedial policy and managerial alternatives. When the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and

possible threats (SWOT analysis) are known regarding the functionality of a country’s WoGM&ES,

developing supportive policies, practices as well as aligning public sector skills and financing are

made more feasible and realistic. Currently, many governments, both in the developed and

developing worlds are investing insurmountable resources to understand their WoGM&ESs so that

they demonstrate their accountability, transparency and promotion of use of evidence to keen

stakeholders that include critical political opponents, donors, civil society and citizens [5,10,15,28

& 57].

METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

This research study was about investigating the structural and organisational arrangements of

monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for the public sector in Zambia. The scope was broad, covering

the entire levels of the public sector operations ranging from national, line ministry, provincial to

district and sub-district levels. Although it is a crucial first step to put in place a favourable policy

environment as prerequisite for successful implementation of a thriving M&E regime for any

country or organisation, it is important that the WoGM&ES’ structural and organisational set-up is

fully known in great detail.

The study design and methodology adopted to undertake this research was broadly qualitative and

investigatory. It meant developing and using methods, tools and techniques appropriate to collect

data and information suitable for the descriptive study objectives and questions formulated.

Questionnaires and interview guides were sufficiently administered to respondents within

Zambia’s public sector as well as practitioners of M&E outside government institutions. In that

regard, key informant interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used. Further,

observations on the operations of public sector institutions and agencies were also made to collect

information regarding how M&E functioned across Zambia’s WoGM&ES. Therefore, both primary

and secondary data sources were used in the study. A wealth of secondary data sources including

various Government of Zambia reports and policy documents were consulted (national

development plans, annual progress reports, Vision 2030, sector reports, economic reports & other

expert reports). Furthermore, scholarly books, articles, discussion papers, working papers and

research papers from experts and practitioners of M&E were used. More information was collected

from primary sources, who comprised of government and non-state officials involved in M&E

activities and institutional operations. Predominantly, the respondents were drawn from