– by Nkosingiphile Ntshangase
Being able to monitor and evaluate implemented projects is particularly crucial for individuals in the public sector, as their activities affect the lives of those in their relative communities. Civil servants need to have a relationship of trust with the community they serve. In community development, having good intentions is not enough, which makes accountability a necessity in building the foundation of trust. Therefore, if activities and projects are not implemented and managed efficiently, communities will lose confidence in public sector services, sending members into disarray.
On the 24th of May, the first block session of UKZN Extended Learning’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Skills Programme commenced. This programme aims to equip delegates with the necessary skills to strengthen their capacities and develop a pool of professionals that possess substantial knowledge and skills in assessing activities and projects.
By the end of the six-month programme, delegates will be able to provide consolidated sources of information and confidently explain the best practice through Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems that showcase progress. Delegates will learn from each other’s experiences throughout the programme, building on their expertise and knowledge. The course content is designed to strengthen one’s ability to manage appropriate integrated M&E systems within available resource constraints to achieve desired strategic outcomes in specific fields in organisations. Gaining M&E knowledge provides a way to assess the crucial link between implementers, beneficiaries on the ground and decision-makers, which adds to the development. Overall this programme is relevant in addressing areas of inexperience, highlighting challenges, and imparting new skills for delegates to use and recommend for their systems on returning to the workplace.
This programme is aimed at civil servants, private sector or civil society organisations interested in developing an understanding of current issues in M&E, and conceptual skills for managing M&E processes.
If you are looking to identify new opportunities and deploy new and improved ways of conducting M&E functions in your workplace, please click here for more information.
You can also contact us directly on the details below:
Percy Sishi
T: +27 31 260 1234
E: SishiS@ukzn.ac.za