MAROPENE RAMOKGOPA: Building better government institutions for a better SA

The department of planning, monitoring & evaluation has achieved a clean audit outcome for the 11th consecutive year for the 2022/23 financial year. Since the department’s establishment in 2010 we have demonstrated a concerted effort to uphold institutional integrity to support its dynamic, complex, cross-cutting yet necessary mandate.  

According to the audit outcome as presented by the auditor-general at the parliamentary portfolio committee of planning, monitoring & evaluation in October, the department achieved a 95% performance against the annual performance plan target, compared to the 80% achieved in the 2021/22 financial year.  

Numbers do not lie, instead they tell a story. From its inception the department has actively sought to challenge the pervasive audit culture that has engulfed the public sector across all spheres of government. This culture often depoliticises the mandates of our government departments by simply reducing their work to outputs instead of outcomes with measurable and tangible impact.  

As a department we recognise the importance of thorough administrative and accounting systems and the building of human capacity as the basis of building institutional credibility and improving the performance of the department in relation to its mandate. We have made considerable progress in this regard and it is evident in the broad range of expertise and skills that the department homes.  

However, beyond the checks and balances we have aimed to develop an agile department that is responsive to the transitional socioeconomic and political context we operate in.  

Our growing agility has also warranted and created space for us to move towards an interventionist approach, allowing the department’s mandate to gain influence across the public sector and arms of the state. Ultimately, we seek to be an exemplar to other government departments on the need for investing in institutional building and capacity development.  

The department's work is anchored on its mission: “To develop and co-ordinate evidence-based planning, monitoring, and evaluation of developmental outcomes and impact”. 

Our mission lies squarely with priority one of the seven priorities under the sixth administration: to build a capable, ethical and developmental state. By its definition, a developmental state is anchored on strong strategic leadership, the effective use of resources, people-centred approaches, a robust long-term plan, institutional capacity, service processes, and technological platforms to function and deliver on the country’s imperatives through a social contract with the people. 

Therefore, our contributions to this priority lie in strengthening the co-ordination of all spheres of government, the legislature, and judiciary to operate in alignment. This co-ordination is informed by evidence-based strategies as outlined in our mission.

Accountability 

Over the past financial year we have improved and entrenched accountability towards the implementation of government programmes and projects. Part of this requires an ongoing process of building and strengthening inter-governmental relationships. This is central for better support, co-ordinating and amplifying government interventions to advance developmental imperatives.  

Our approach to evidence-based interventions has resulted in the monitoring and evaluation of government programmes in 2022/23. These include; Operation Phakisa, Land Restitution Evaluation Study, government flood disaster interventions and the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.  

At the heart of these evaluations is to advise the executive and departments on how better to implement interventions, provide regulatory support to measure the impact of the interventions, co-ordinate interventions to promote synergy across the public sector, and curb the duplication of interventions. Above all, the department is contributing to the knowledge repository of our nation’s developmental agenda.  

It is against this background that we aim to re-invent the department of planning, monitoring & evaluation and how its contributions are understood. Although we may not be administering any direct services to our people, our technical expertise, knowledge production and systems development for internal and external use are valuable and needed for the development of the public sector and our nation.  

As we prepare for the conclusion of the sixth administration the department has started the process of planning for the seventh administration. Part of this process requires a process of evaluating the performance of the current medium-term strategic framework against the key indicators, evaluating methodology and integrating new approaches such as scenario planning and modelling. The department continues to conduct rapid evaluations alongside the approved National Evaluation Plan, which is anchored on the seven priorities of the medium-term strategic framework 2019—24.  

The period evaluations aim to improve alignment with the National Development Plan (NDP) and medium-term strategic framework through the standardisation of indicators for sectors with concurrent functions.  

An area the department seeks to improve on is our collaboration with stakeholders beyond formalised structures and formations. We recognise the critical role of an active citizenry in achieving the development goals as outlined in the National Development Plan 2030. The realisation of the ideals in the NDP requires a buy-in from all of society.

We believe the evidence-based reports developed by department on monitoring the NDP indicators; a synthesis report on all research projects to review and support the implementation of the NDP; and a stakeholder engagements report on the NDP implementation; provide us with the necessary framework to improve the collaboration and participation of all sectors of society.  

As we reflect on almost 30 years of SA’s democracy we acknowledge the significant milestones achieved during this period, including the expansion of our social protection systems, the increased access to basic education and healthcare services, the improved responsiveness of the criminal justice system and the strengthening of diplomatic relations across Africa and the world. 

Therefore, we must strengthen the planning, co-ordinating, monitoring, and evaluation systems of the country to ensure we safeguard and defend our democratic gains to ensure they improve and meet the needs of our people.  

We have a collective responsibility to build a capable, ethical and developmental state that understands economic development as a catalyst in fostering social and human development in the interest of the “public good”. 

It is our future, let’s make it work.  

• Ramokgopa is minister in the presidency for planning, monitoring & evaluation and chairs the National Planning Commission.