Examination of Monitoring and Evaluation Tools with Specific Reference to Sustainable Development Policies, South Africa

Since the advent of democracy in South Africa, the public sector reform initiatives introduced by the National Treasury have focused on matters related to efficiency and effectiveness. These initiatives are intended to enhance a service focus by introducing and implementing performance management systems in the public sector. Looking at global objectives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national policy frameworks such as the National Development Plan (NDP) the need for policy effectiveness in South Africa rises. The studies that have been carried out have mainly focused on monitoring and evaluation as a general contributing factor to improving the government's efforts. However very little has been done to address the specific need for effective monitoring and evaluation systems in line with South African's sustainable development in greater detail. This article adopted a qualitative approach that utilised a systematic review of the literature. The methodological design enabled one to explore existing data to conduct a systematic enquiry into the identified research questions. The findings of this article revealed that despite the implementation of the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and policy frameworks, concerns regarding their effectiveness are debatable. This article concluded that the South African government is not employing monitoring and evaluation tools to their maximum potential but executes these mechanisms in compliance with legislative requirements. This article recommends a change of approach in policy development and implementation practices, which includes the design and establishment of a system that enhances South African policy impact.