Factors Influencing the Performance of Power Africa Donor-Driven Monitoring and Evaluation System In South Africa

Abstract

Effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are essential to the success of any project. Although there is no evidence suggesting donor-supported projects did not exist before 1994, there was a significant increase in donor projects after that year. This led to the creation of the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA), which aims to bridge the competence gap by providing a platform where M&E is considered a profession (SAMEA, 2022). Despite implementing M&E systems, little is written about the factors that affect their performance. A 2012 McKinsey survey found that donor- funded projects had a low M&E performance success rate of 36%. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the factors that influence the performance of the Driven (Power Africa) M&E system in South Africa. This study examines the impact of technology, human capital, data quality, and stakeholder participation on the system's performance. A quantitative research strategy was used, and a self-administered questionnaire was developed, tested, validated, and shared online through Google Forms to 203 selected participants who received direct emails with guidance on how to complete the questionnaire and how we obtained the sample size. The findings revealed that the majority (90%) of participants agreed that the evolution of technology, data quality, human capacity, and stakeholders all have a positive relationship with the performance of donor-driven monitoring and evaluation systems. Theoretical arguments from this study suggest that technology, human capital, stakeholders, involvement, and data quality positively impact the performance of an M&E system within the NGO sector