Mutsikiwa , Eziwe2024-07-292024-07-292023Mutsikiwa , Eziwe.(2023). Exploring Data Usage in Implementing the Zimbabwe Orphan Care Policy in Harare Province [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/39882https://hdl.handle.net/10539/39882A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Public and Development Sector Monitoring and Evaluation for Examination, to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Accountancy, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023There is need to understand the reasons why most government departments and implementing organisations do not fully use data and evidence when implementing public policies such as the Zimbabwe Orphan Care Policy (ZOCP). Understanding these reasons is vital for crafting a Page v of 114 prescriptive framework for data utilisation in all interventions towards improved decision making. A growing body of evidence suggests that most child protection interventions in developing countries do not surpass a ceiling of 65% with regards to data utilisation (see Garribet al., 2009; Andualem, Kebede, and Kumie, 2013). Zimbabwe is not an exception to this challenge. Rusakaniko et al. (2016) used a sharp increase of 82% in child protection cases between 2018 and 2021 to demonstrate that there is limited data usage in the implementation of the ZOCP. If data and evidence was fully utilised, such a sharp increase would not have been experienced. The Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) introduced a compulsory Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system in 2019 with the view of promoting use of data and evidence in implementing the ZOCP. To date, no known empirical research has focused on assessing the extent to which M&E best practice are being used following the introduction of the M&E system, and the reasons behind limited data usage despite its compulsory introduction. This study set out to examine the underlying reasons behind limited use of data and evidence in the implementation of the ZOCP and proffer a workable data usage framework considering the identified contextual reasons. The study was designed as single-holistic situational study of Harare Province, Zimbabwe. It was single because only one of the ten provinces in Zimbabwe was used and it was holistic because it focused on all data usage parameters to unveil the reasons behind limited data utilisation by the Department of Social Development (DSD). Within the case study, documentary review was used as the main evoker of experiences in Zimbabwe and elsewhere regard data usage by government departments such as the DSD. Then, one-on-one in-depth interviews with 6 DSD employees, 4 Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) employees, and 2 counterfactual interviewees were carried out. All of respondents were purposively chosen because of the exposure, experience, and expertise they have in working in the child protection space. This thesis confirmed that reasons for limited data usage can be broadly grouped into quality, capacity and institutional factors. However, the study extended and clarified this by demonstrating that everything rises and falls with institutional factors. Institutional factors (are partly shaped by acts of invisible politics) determine the capacity of the DSD with regards to budgetary allocation, disbursement of work tools, hiring of practicing professionals, and giving them opportunities to upskill. The capacity factors, in turn, influence the quality factors such as adherence to M&E best practices. This confirmation, extension, and clarification led to the development of a unified framework for data usage discussed in Section 4.8. It is evidently clear from the findings that if much emphasis is placed on re-orienting institutional factors towards full adoption of the M&E system introduced in 2019, other factors will follow suit, and the decision-making process will improveen© 2023 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.DSDData UtilisationCapacity FactorsQuality FactorsInstitutional factorsUCTDSDG-11: Sustainable cities and communitiesDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg