Learning Notes

Permanent URI for this collection

https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/27976
Our Learning Notes document emerging learnings in “real time” to share with the clients, stakeholders, as well as a broader audience. The emergent learning topics focus on various aspects of our work.

Browse

Browsing Learning Notes by Title

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Digital Transformation in African Parliaments
    (CLEAR-AA, 2021-07-19) Mosienyane, Tefo
    This learning note draws on lessons from the piloting of the African Parliamentary Oversight Tool developed by the Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results – Anglophone Africa’s (CLEAR-AA) in two African parliaments. It further outlines lessons and recommendations to guide practitioners in implementing successful digital transformation initiatives in African Parliaments. The African POT is an online research management tool that emanates from CLEAR-AA’s commitment to support and improve evidence generation and use that furthers better decision making. The African POT is a digital intervention project that undertakes digital transformation in evidence generation, use and culture in African Parliaments. This happens through a mobile application that integrates the evidence process, from the demand side by the MP. Evidence is then synthetized by parliamentary researchers to facilitate MPs use of evidence This platform digitalises some of the existing processes, but in the long term is designed to bring about organizational, cultural and process changes that allow for a culture of evidence-based decision making to flourish. The key issues of consideration in piloting the African POT involved data governance, security and vulnerability, implementation challenges related to staff capacity, technical language and the type of commitments required from practitioners and parliaments in implementing the tool.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Social Media Communications for African Public Institutions
    (CLEAR-AA, 2019-01) Ms Ali, Aisha
    Social media is growing exponentially in Africa. While many governments perceive an increase in political social media as a threat, and several governments have set up social media controls and even sanctioned complete blackouts in moments of heightened political tension, they are also increasingly finding it convenient to interact with their publics through social media. While this is mostly one-way broadcast-style communication about service delivery or in emergencies, the two-way, interactive possibilities of social media offer public institutions opportunities to tap into information from citizens and to interact.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Strengthening African M&E Systems through country-based programmes
    (CLEAR-AA, 2020-04) Dr Takunda, Chirau; Ms Banele, Masilela; Mr Ayabulela, Dlakavu
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Strengthening Evidence Use in African Parliaments
    (CLEAR-AA and Twende Mbele, 2020-10-14) Hermine, Engel; Cara, Waller
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Strengthening Regional Evaluation Capacity-Building through Local Partnerships
    (CLEAR-AA, 2019-02) Ms Amisi, Matodzi Michelle; Dr Chirau, Takunda
    CLEAR-AA’s regional strategy, completed at the end of 2018, details how CLEAR-AA will work with partners in Anglophone Africa to strengthen evaluation in the region. It also explores ways to strengthen the use of evaluative evidence in policy and programme planning to improve the quality of social policies. As part of the process for developing the strategy, CLEAR-AA held two workshops, in South Africa and Uganda, with representatives of invited organisations from countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. We wanted to test out our thinking with evaluation practitioners, policymakers and others who are working to develop evaluation capacity. The workshops helped CLEARAA to identify partner organisations that share our values and objectives. We also explored appropriate implementation approaches for our strategy, including identifying barriers and enablers. With this learning note, CLEAR-AA shares what we discussed and discovered about what is likely to strengthen regional capacity-building work and what makes it difficult. Much of what came up in the workshops is supported in the literature, and we include some key readings for readers who would like to explore the issues further.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Strengthening VOPEs into Pillars of M&E Ecosystem
    (CLEAR-AA, 2021-06-16) Amisi, Matodzi; Masvaure, Steven; Dlakavu, Ayabulela; Fish, Tebogo
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Working with Data: Analysing SETA data management system for a stronger M&E system
    (CLEAR-AA, 2019-10) Mr Tsotsotso, Khotso
    The M&E system is in itself made-up of a number of inter-related and inter-connected sub-systems. One key sub-system of the M&E system is an effective and efficient data management system. Data management refers to the practice of organizing and maintaining data processes to meet ongoing information lifecycle needs. It is a process of creating, sharing, using and managing information of an organization. In practice, a data management system can take the form of an IT system that stores and retrieves data, improves collaboration, locates knowledge sources, mines repositories for hidden knowledge, captures and uses knowledge, or in some other way enhances the data management process.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    You can't manage what you're not measuring
    (CLEAR-AA, 2020-03) Dr Masvaure, Steven