– by Samantha Higgins
The KZN Department of Education allocated a cross-section of delegates to attend the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Skills Programme (M & E), held at UKZN Extended Learning’s (UEL) Innovation Centre. The training objective was to support the management of projects and programmes across departments, to learn more about the system of monitoring, evaluation and research with an expectation to identify gaps within the current system, make improvements on these and advise senior managers of any shortfalls. The programme also aims to assist delegates with knowledge to design relevant M & E frameworks and engage in practical applications of M & E systems.
David Sbomakaliso Chonco, District Director for King Cetshwayo District Municipality expressed the lecturers’ teaching methods to be well balanced in theoretical and practical terms. The content included clear clarification on the difference between monitoring and evaluation, the origin of these concepts, how they complement each other and how they are integrated into policy formulation and development.
Overall the programme has been relevant in addressing areas of inexperience, highlighting challenges and imparting new skills for delegates to use and recommend for their system on return to work.
Mr Gordon Fakude, Economic History and Development Studies Lecturer at UKZN, one of the four programme facilitators, conveyed: “In the M & E Theory and Practice module we had fruitful engagements with interesting discussions and class exercises as participants were eagerly sharing their work experiences and, in the light of the knowledge they were acquiring, were reflecting on how things could be done better in their work stations. On our part, as facilitators, these engagements were very informative and richly rewarding especially when we see participants literally applying the principles of conducting M & E to assess how they perform their duties.”
The Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Skills Programme is aimed at programme managers in government, the private sector or civil society organisations who are interested in developing an understanding of current issues in monitoring and evaluation, and conceptual skills for managing monitoring and evaluation processes.
If you would like to learn more about our customisation of programmes for public and private sector organisations please contact us on +27 31 260 1234 or email:
Yashna Sookdew (SookooY@ukzn.ac.za)
Sindi Ndlovu (Ndlovus1@ukzn.ac.za)