A WSU academic’s quest to find scientific-based solutions to poor and ineffective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategies in light of the devastating effects of the Covid-19 has earned him a doctoral degree in Public Administration.

In his pursuit of a solution, Dr Yekani launched an investigative study focusing acutely on two Eastern Cape municipalities and their response in terms of M&E to the crippling effects of the pandemic.

“The study sought to determine the efficacy of M&E strategies during and after the era of the pandemic. The shortcomings of ineffectual M&E have triggered the study, which aims to dissect the M&E strategies available in municipalities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa,” said Dr Yekani.

In the study, titled: “The effectiveness of the monitoring and evaluation strategies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: A case of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality in the Eastern Cape, he posits that despite government granting budgetary increments to municipalities in response to the pandemic, many  of these municipalities have produced ineffective M&E strategies.

Compounding the abovementioned challenge, according to Dr Yekani, has been inadequately skilled municipal labour, an invasive issue that continued adversely affecting speedy service delivery.

‘’Although national government allocated a budgetary increment in response to the pandemic, municipalities’ employees have a skills deficit in achieving the municipal objectives – aimed at improving service delivery during COVID-19. However, when one considers the performance of municipalities, particularly on irregular, wasteful and fruitless expenditure, it becomes imperative that initiatives such as M&E strategies should be investigated in municipalities,” he said.

He further went on to claim that the aforementioned shortcomings, and the acceptance of wrongdoing, have caused further deterioration in audit outcomes in municipalities across the country.

In light of this, Dr Yekani said his study could potentially empower municipal employees with tailored work experience that is relevant for the current and future slow and fast onset disasters.

In his conclusion, the study found that  the municipal employees aren’t confident that the municipality continuously conducts impact evaluations of COVID-19.

“These municipalities are not showing commitment to analyse the impact of how COVID-19 has affected the municipal finances. In these municipalities, employees are not confident that municipalities make a follow-up analysis of the impact of projects in specific communities affected by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Dr Yekani. ‘

A number of recommendations were put forward, including:

• The organisation needs to develop communication change management strategies. Each municipal department should devise a communication plan which is adjusted on regular basis to suit employees’ needs.
• The municipality policy and planning unit should review all policies to respond appropriately to the pandemic.
• The municipal policy and planning unit should devise some municipal by-laws to support the M&E system in order to curb the spread of the virus.
• Municipal line managers should be trained on how to monitor employees, during global pandemics in particular, where there are people working virtually.
• The Human Resource Department and line managers should revisit and revise the performance agreement annually to be aligned with the current needs and demands as they relate to COVID-19.

Reflecting on the hardships that led him to academic achievement, Dr Babalo Yekani, who obtained his PhD from the Nelson Mandela University recently, said he was filled with mixed emotions when the moment came and he was capped.

“I never imagined or thought I would reach this academic milestone in my life. I remember struggling to gain admission to university education after matriculation and being rejected, resulting in two hopeless years with no hope of obtaining university education,” said Dr Yekani.

Contemplating the journey ahead, Dr Yekani said he doesn’t consider himself to have reached the academic ceiling.

‘’Currently, academics are under a lot of pressure to contribute and increase research outputs, the focus for now is to publish more research articles in order to establish myself as a research producer and impart knowledge to students,’’ he said.

Dr Yekani obtained his doctoral degree in Public Administration.

By Thando Cezula