National Evaluation System Annual report 2023/2024

The purpose of this annual report is to provide information on the status of the National Evaluation System (NES) as per its various components. The update will include: progress made with the implementation of the National Evaluation Plan (NEP) 2020-2025; an update on provincial evaluation plans; institutionalisation of evaluations at local government level; and evaluations at state owned entities (SOEs). Furthermore, is an update on a range of activities to strengthen the NES, which include evaluation guidelines, capacity development initiatives, quality assessments, evaluation technical support, as well as management of the NES and partnerships including a range of stakeholder mobilisation and knowledge brokering activities. The report also covers evaluations evidence map (EEM) project that the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) is currently implementing . The DPME started to develop the concept for the NES in 2011, and the first National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF) was approved by Cabinet on 23 November 2011 with a revised version approved by Cabinet on 3 March 2020. The rationale behind the NEPF was that the government must evaluate whether it is doing the right things in the right manner. Figure 1depicts the components of the NES and Figure 2 outlines the key stakeholders in the NES and their roles and responsibilities.