M&E For Presidents Programme For Sa Version 1.2

Monitoring & Evaluation Support for the
President’s Programme for South Africa
A proven approach to large-scale capacity building,
monitoring & evaluation and service delivery.

Contents
1. Executive Summary ........................................................... 2
2. Enabling cross-ministry and cross-sector working for success .. 3
3. ICT for capacity building, planning, monitoring & evaluation .... 4
4. Indicators linking local, continental and global programmes ..... 6
5. Meshworks for enabling government: a summary................... 7
6. Proven global best practice ............................................... 10
7. A practical approach ........................................................ 10
8. Meshwork Elements Reducing Cost Time and Risk ................ 11
9. Online Technology Platform and Shared Service Model .......... 12
10. Examples of software platform ........................................ 13
11. Meshwork Development Roadmap.................................... 16
12. Conclusion .................................................................... 18
Appendix 1: Selection Criteria for software to support MIDIR ...... 19
Appendix 2: Action Learning (and Project Khaedu) ..................... 21
Contacts .............................................................................. 23

Copyright (c) 2009, Gaiasoft IP Ltd. Portions copyright ICT-Works (Pty) Ltd, Africa International Advisors and CHE
Netherlands. All Rights Reserved. 1

1. Executive Summary
Our consortium is led by ICT-Works, a world-class women owned South
African business with the strongest BEE credentials. Our consortium
offers the government of South Africa a monitoring and evaluation (M&E)
solution for capacity building and service delivery based on the very best
international and South African experience and best practices. For the
last eight years members of our consortium have implemented
performance management and capacity building solutions, for example
the performance management systems at the two metros which won top
2008 “VUNA Awards for excellence in service delivery”, the City of Joburg
and Nelson Mandela Bay Metros.

The critical components of our solution are:

1. A proven, easy to use ICT solution that exceeds world class
standards as defined by recent EU research, is highly flexible and is
used in numerous government and institutional applications in South
Africa, Europe and the USA.

2. An M&E approach that emphasises simplicity and robustness to
empower and build confidence and capacity of government
workers. Our clients’ experience proves that when M&E and
performance management is made simple, it can build capacity and
support service delivery improvements.

3. Use of the M&E process to build broad networks of learning and
support across spheres of government, between departments and
between government business and civil society. We call this a
‘Meshwork’. A meshwork enables government, business and civil
society to work together to deliver on national objectives

4. A direct linkage through our partners, Africa International Advisors,
with the DPSA’s very successful Action Learning programme –
Project Khaedu. To date over 4,000 SMS members have participated in
this innovative, yet demanding programme. Our approach allows us to
take the existing and future deployment reports from Khaedu and feed
them directly into both the M&E system and Meshwork learning
networks. Khaedu has already uncovered many opportunities to apply
South African service delivery best practices across all departments
and spheres of government. Our solution can deliver this learning
direct to the front line of government.

With this approach to M&E, the South African government can ensure that
the M&E process and system goes well beyond simply a ‘report card’.
Combined, these elements ensure that experience and learnings from
successful initiatives such as Khaedu and the DBSA’s Siyenza Manje can
be disseminated widely. The ultimate measure of success for the M&E
system is successful implementation of programmes across government.

Combining M&E and learning for government, business and civil
society will take service delivery to the next level and empower
South Africa as a learning nation.


2. Enabling cross-ministry and cross-sector working for success
This paper focuses on implementation of the President’s programme as
outlined in the State of the Nation Address of June 3rd 2009 and the
Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF). The authors recognise the
importance of the national goals and the significance of creating new
ministries for strategic planning and monitoring & evaluation.

From experience, we recognise the transformative power of capacity
building, performance management and monitoring and evaluation here in
South Africa. Also from experience, we recognise that many solutions to
achieve our goals at national, provincial and local levels are already known
– somewhere in South Africa or internationally. By joining-up planning,
knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, monitoring and evaluation, as
South Africans we can fast-track service delivery and significantly reduce
the cost, time and risk of the transformation that we must achieve.

The President’s address makes clear the government’s commitment to
ending poverty and its commitment to work with all parts of our society to
deliver the national programme. The President’s address confirms that
attached to each commitment is a detailed project plan with targets and
critical milestones. The address includes an invitation to all South
Africans:

“As citizens we should at the same
time ask ourselves what is it that
we can do on our own to help
promote this national programme.
To be a citizen is not only about
rights, it is also about responsibility,
to make a contribution to make ours
a better country. […] Fellow South
Africans, working together we can
do more to realise our common
vision of a better and more
prosperous nation!”

Further, the recent Dinokeng scenarios identified “Walking Together” with
an Enabling Government for South Africa to develop and build the nation.

How can our government mobilise resources across ministries and
enable participation of civil society and all sectors to walk
together in national development?


3. ICT for capacity building, planning, monitoring & evaluation

Just as the Internet enabled President Barack Obama to make history as
the first African American US President, we believe that through the
Internet and ICT our new Presidency and South Africa can make history as
an enabling government, achieving comprehensive engagement, joined-
up government and service delivery through appropriate use of ICT and
the Internet.

ICT for planning, for performance management, for monitoring and
evaluation, for knowledge sharing and for collaboration can be the
nervous system of South Africa’s knowledge-based service delivery and
development. Extensive research, development and experience
internationally and in South Africa, confirms that South Africa is well
positioned for a leapfrog in development by becoming a learning nation
through knowledge-based government, partnering effectively with
business, NGOs, education and other constituencies.

As South Africans, we can dramatically improve service delivery by
using the power of Action Learning and ICTs to share knowledge,
monitor, learn and achieve our national goals.

This paper presents our proposal for a national capacity-building,
monitoring and learning solution, including Action Learning curricula, ICT
infrastructure and national service delivery knowledge base.

Catalysing change by engaging business and civil society
Government cannot single-handedly transform our country, but
government can improve joined-up working across ministries and the
spheres of government. Government can create the conditions for the
elimination of poverty, development of community and the achievement of
growth.

The South African Women in
Dialogue (SAWID) research
shows how Chile successfully
created what we refer to as a
“template” solution for poverty
elevation.

The Chile template developed
pillars and conditions required
to create a bridge (puente) for
families to walk from poverty
and social exclusion to self-
empowerment and prosperity. The government mobilised resources
across ministries and civil society to successfully take the project from an
initial pilot to a successful national roll-out. This paper discusses how
similar approaches of developing, piloting and then rolling out tried and


tested best practice templates are today being used in South Africa and
how this approach can be used to achieve the 2009-2014 MTSF
programme.

Overall the approach proposed for South Africa uses a simple roadmap for
scaling change: 1. find working solutions and combine to build a template,
2. pilot the combined solution and 3. scale their impact. A similar
approach is being taken in many contexts within South Africa, for
example, Project Khaedu, the DBSA’s Siyenza Manje and the South
African Cities Network all aim to develop networks, improve knowledge
sharing and scaling of good practices to accelerate development.

Learning from this lifecycle, the solution we propose includes a focussed
Action Learning capacity building and learning network with an online
platform to identify and connect the government, business and social
change leaders across South Africa’s society and diaspora. These can then
develop key collaborations based on shared goals and create the projects
to implement their goals.

Roadmap for scaling change

1.Develop Template
2.Pilot
3.Scale
3

1 2

Copyright (c) 2009 Gaiasoft IP Ltd. International Patents Pending. All Rights Reserved.

Government cannot do what business and civil society can do, but
an “enabling government” can stimulate engagement and synergy
across business and civil society. With skilful use of ICT, South
Africa’s government can catalyse development towards national priorities
by stimulating contributions from the most appropriate stakeholders for
each priority.


4. Indicators linking local, continental and global programmes
The meshwork approach to M&E is particularly suitable to national,
provincial and local mobilisation to achieve global objectives. For example,
the impact of local action in attaining the targets in the MDGs, Human
Development Index and Gender Development Index can be tracked,
knowledge and experienced can be gathered and effective solutions can
be identified. Local grassroots solutions can be rapidly rolled out across
the country and between countries, where relevant.

Achieving goals of international collaboration

Meshwork M&E provides a structure within which local and community
action contributes to national and international knowledge and
achievement of goals. At the same time, meshwork M&E can provide a
clear ‘line of sight’ for international bodies like the AU and SADC to track,
understand and impact progress down to local and ward level. The
meshwork approach can be used to benchmark and compare between
international partners, for example between South Africa and international
partners in SADC1 or IBSA2 working groups and to connect networks
across countries, for example for Women’s Rights, Conflict Prevention or
Climate Adaptation. The meshwork can be used to build expert
communities, develop templates for success and build local capacity. By
using the power of meshwork M&E, South African government and civil
society can lead and contribute to international partnerships.

Grassroots participation meshworks and citizen scorecards

Citizen scorecards capture needs and goals of civil society, businesses or
communities as a focus for measuring progress, convening of stakeholders
and giving feedback to government. By focussing on common indicators
between South African civil society, business and government, South
Africans can walk together to achieve national progress. Meshwork M&E
provides a framework for convening stakeholders around a national vision
and key strategic pillars and programmes. Young people, women’s
movements and other civil society groups can support where government
is effective and lead where government needs support.

Learning from international experience

The remainder of this paper is based, with permission, on a report
prepared by CHE Netherlands and Gaiasoft for the Dutch Government on
cross-ministry and civil society implementation and collaboration. It
refers to work for the Dutch government implementing change
programmes and also to projects in collaboration between government,
business and civil society. Elements of this approach were originally
developed and proven here in South Africa in government and private
sector monitoring and evaluation and performance management
implementations. With thanks to our clients and partners in preparation
of this document. Special thanks to Nelson Mandela Metro and
international clients for the screen shots used.

1
SADC: Southern African Development Community
2
IBSA: India, Brazil, South Africa


Meshworking – a support service for
Cross-cutting Government Programmes
A meshwork™ is a Structured Collaboration Across
Organisations to Accelerate Learning and Results

5. Meshworks for enabling government: a summary

Every government faces the challenge of how to develop and implement
programmes effectively and efficiently. How can many ministries,
departments and agencies work together to fast track progress and
results? This paper references and builds on practical South African
experience by the authors and experience with CHE in the Netherlands
and internationally, and on the global best practice research of the EU
MIDIR research project.

This paper outlines a meshworki support service for developing and
implementing cross-cutting sustainability programmes.

Meshworking links people, performance and knowledge within a common
programme framework to achieve results. Meshworking support improves
collaboration, synergy and oversight, while reducing cost, time and risk of
delivering programme outcomes.


The programme facilitation is a proven process that nurtures commitment
and confidence and develops team ownership, engagement and capacity.
The process is enabled by unique3 meshworking software which connects
people, manages accountability and actions, harvesting and re-using
knowledge to scale programme results.

The programme meshwork support solution enables the programme
management team to:

• build on the strengths and diverse perspectives of cross-cutting
teams through facilitation, mentoring and online support

• integrate existing knowledge and information technology resources4
within the framework of the programme meshwork

• build effective communities of practice for each cross-cutting
project and for the project team within each ministry.

Core challenges that this approach addresses are:

• How to make the most effective use of diverse expertise and
knowledge to achieve a defined objective.

• How to achieve effective collaboration between people who are not
in the same ‘chain of command’ or management hierarchy and
hence cannot be simply instructed to perform tasks.

3
Gaiasoft’s South African and international patents and patents pending provide
unique security and openness, protecting what must be private behind the
firewall and connecting with people and resources from the public internet where
appropriate. An organising framework.
4
Integration is through web services standards and Service Oriented
Architecture.


• How to work across organisational and departmental silos
(boundaries) ensuring the most useful contribution from different
stakeholders

• How to keep an overview of all activities, tracking progress,
learning from the best, and supporting areas that are falling behind

• How to integrate performance and results focus with supportive
people-processes to create a culture of learning, innovation and
achievement

• How to identify and share best practices which are specifically
relevant to an individual in their work e.g. through programmes like
Project Khaedu

• How to link performance management to best practices knowledge-
sharing and effective people collaboration e.g. tying together
existing successful projects such as Siyenza Manje and Khaedu
which are already uncovering many best practices.

The meshwork facilitates effective cross-cutting project-based
communities of practice and in-ministry communities of practice.

The same cross-cutting approach applies to collaboration between
business and civil society groups working together on national
development.


6. Proven global best practice

Global best practice research5 confirms that cross-cutting programmes are
most likely to succeed and scale if they:

• Take an integral approach, combining attention to collective
structure and culture, as well as individual mindset and behaviour

• Combine a shared flexible template for performance

• Include a technology platform for monitoring, measuring,
collaborating and driving implementation of the template within a
particular context

• Give thorough attention to stakeholder engagement and
mobilization

• Stimulate a culture and mindset of learning and innovation (rather
than predict and control)

The same EU funded research identifies cross-cutting sustainability
programmes as an area where this approach is particularly relevant. The
selection criteria for tools to support this approach are in Appendix 1
below.

The performance and M&E elements of the meshwork have been in use in
South Africa since 2001. In Holland, the meshworking support service is
in use in the Dutch Ministry VROM and also the Dutch private sector
collaborative sustainability and biodiversity network “Leaders for Nature.”

7. A practical approach

A meshwork approach facilitates self-organisation, using the ‘wisdom of
the crowd’ to find the simple projects, knowledge and communities of
practice to achieve a complex task. A complex multi-stakeholder project
is translated into an appropriate hierarchy of pillars (areas for
collaboration) and conditions (which must be met to achieve success).

In the case of South Africa’s 2009-2014 programme, these pillars are
likely to be the cross-cutting government commitments which make up
the programme. A meshwork support process works from the core
purpose (e.g. eliminate poverty), identifying pillars to support that
purpose, conditions that need to be in place for a pillar to be strong,

5
MIDIR European Union Research Project Contract n° 036708: Integration of Concept in
Real Risk Management Settings in Various Cultures – Online tools for developing
sustainability and resilience


action that puts those conditions in place, and best practices that can
formulate action in other parts of an organisation.

In simple terms, this approach gets every participating person and
organisation ‘on the same page’ understanding where they fit and their
role in the national programme. Each person is motivated by the
programme goal and understands where they fit in the larger programme
and where they can find the people, knowledge and resources to achieve
the programme results.

When this template is made explicit, it is possible to easily link individual
actions to conditions supporting the projects within the programme. It is
also possible to find best practices that are directly relevant to the specific
area that anyone is working on.

8. Meshwork Elements Reducing Cost Time and Risk

Meshwork has one great advantage for the South African government – it
can be built and implemented quickly and populated with the results from
Khaedu, Siyenza Manje and other successes, immediately.

Meshwork Element Reduces cost, time loss and
risk
An online technology platform that Without this, valuable time is
combines performance management, lost, the organisation and
knowledge exchange and a administration overhead is
collaboration platform. excessive and energy and
motivation are likely to dissipate.
Facilitated meetings designed to Without this programme,
generate the content of the participants waste time finding
programme, as well as ownership of the knowledge they need and end
that content. up repeating mistakes or ‘re-
inventing the wheel.’
Action Learning training modules to Without this, lack of capacity,
identify and teach proven solutions historic cultures and
and to develop the mindset and organisational boundaries limit
capacity to deliver. participation, progress and
results.
Peer-to-Peer mentoring supported by Without this, synergies and peer
the visibility of the maturity of learning opportunities remain
different parts of an organisation in unexploited, capacity building is
their development. slow and results are delayed.


9. Online Technology Platform and Shared Service Model

Gaiasoft has over eight years experience in performance management,
M&E and program implementation in South Africa. Through this and
global experience, Gaiasoft has developed an online environment to
support the end-to-end lifecycle of a meshwork, from formulation of
purpose, planning, through collaboration, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation. The platform is fully and uniquely compliant with the selection
criteria published by the EU MIDIR best practice research project and set
out in Appendix 1 to this paper. Gaiasoft’s patented6 platform links
between (performance, transformation and cultural) indicators, emerging
best practice solutions and communities of practice. The platform uniquely
enables members of a meshwork to:

• Monitor and evaluate for results

• Do accountable performance management

• Implement results based compensation

• Link budget and service delivery

• Connect people and knowledge with focus and precision

• Eliminate re-inventing the wheel and repetition of costly mistakes

• Rapidly scale what works

• Make explicit the core areas of work and the level of progress in
each area

• Benchmark progress in the different areas of work across different
ministries and partners

• Identify peers from different parts of an organisation who are a step
ahead and can mentor and teach

• Share and find best practices specific to people’s contexts and
needs

ICT Works and Gaiasoft are working with a Gauteng based team to
provide a shared service for performance management, monitoring &
evaluation and meshworking. The shared service model significantly
reduces the cost to individual government departments and agencies
and enables immediate joined-up working and knowledge sharing. The
platform is designed to be scalable for every ministry and to allow the
three spheres of government to work together on delivering the 2009-
2014 programme and beyond.

This is being implemented with private sector funding to “walk
together” with government to achieve national goals and success.

6
Patents relating, among other things, to the linking of knowledge and solutions to a measurement
structure. Pending patents in US, Europe, India, China, Brazil, Japan and South Africa.


10. Examples of software platform

Following are South African and international examples that show the
Gaiasoft platform used to reduce the cost, time and risk of delivering
government and collaborative programmes.

Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality

Nelson Mandela Metro has used the Gaiasoft software platform for its
performance management and monitoring of its Integrated Development
Plan (IDP) since August 2004. The link between service delivery and
budget is of critical importance and is reflected in the following scorecard
showing the Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan. The
scorecard shows quarterly progress at the top level and by department.

Key Performance
Area

Key Performance
Element

Key Performance
Indicator

Analysis explaining
performance
indicator

A department scorecard for Housing & Land


A monitoring report generated automatically from the system as an
Excel spreadsheet that can be printed for use in management
meetings.

Automated reports compile results measured across departments,
combined with analysis and outstanding actions to track implementation
of results. Different reports can be set up for different purposes. The
results recorded in the scorecard are used to measure progress on
performance agreements of senior managers and as a basis for calculating
remuneration.

Leaders for Nature

In the Leaders for
Nature Meshwork,
the program areas or
‘pillars’ are Water,
Land Use, Energy
Use, etc. There is a
community of
practice for each of
these pillars.

This meshwork
screen shows people
in the Netherlands
in the Energy Sector
working on Energy
Use in different roles (Business, Government, NGO, Scientist,
Entrepreneurs, Media) and also best practices related to the same criteria.


Resilient Cities Initiative
The scorecard shown below is
developed from London-
based Climate Change
Agency’s programme
management knowledge. It
shows the monthly progress
of a city sustainability
programme consisting of
programme areas and
projects. (The scorecard
shows demonstration data
only.)

The dark blue lines are
programme areas including
City, Transport, Buildings,
Industry, Energy, etc. The
traffic light cells show the
monthly progress of individual projects for the selected city.

The ‘cloud’ symbol to the left of a project name is used to access the best
practice solutions or shared knowledge available for that project. The
green arrow to the left of each project name is used to access the actions
outstanding for that project.

The scorecard below shows how the progress can be compared across
different cities to facilitate benchmarking and peer-learning.


11. Meshwork Development Roadmap
The steps assume a programme being implemented across multiple ministries.
The same principle applies to government agencies, local governments and
public-private partnerships. In the case of South Africa, these steps are already
in progress. There is a common goal of eradicating poverty and specific
commitments with measures and milestones.

The starting point is to align on and commit to a goal, in this case
implementing the 2009-2014 programme laid out in the State of the Nation
Address. This step requires engaging deep human commitment. This happens,
for example, when it becomes clear that the goal is achievable through
commitment and collaboration. The meshwork support process is designed to
demonstrate and presence the possibility and achievability of the programme
goal and its value as a replicable success, for example by other governments.

Step two develops a shared story of how the committed goal can be
achieved. The 3rd Dinokeng scenario of walking together provides an example
of a story for achievement of a positive future.

The third step is to develop a template consisting of pillars, conditions,
success stories, which in this case are the programme projects. In the case of
South Africa, the pillars are the major commitments in the State of the Nation
Address. The success stories are examples of service delivery successes that
can be used in Action Learning and capacity building. Gathering these stories
builds ownership.

The fourth uses the template to define a monitoring and evaluation system.
In this case, breaking the programme into projects which can be colour-coded
using maturity models and progress tracked over time. This will make the
progress and success of the national programme visible and accountable at all
levels, enabling the three spheres of government, agencies and other
stakeholders to implement progress together. This is a similar approach to that
taken in Nelson Mandela Metro, but on a larger scale.

Step five develops collaborative communities of practice based on ministries
and projects. This is achieved through facilitated meetings, when participants
are asked to place their photos and other information at the coordinate of their
ministry and the particular project of the programme on which they choose to
focus. The resulting wall display of a meshwork – of project names along the
top and ministry names down the side, with participant’s faces placed on the
wall, is referred to as a Meshwall™. The same visual meshwork display is also
presented within the Gaiasoft meshwork software at the end of the facilitated
meeting. This building of ministry and project-based communities of practice is
an ongoing process which accelerates progress towards programme goals.

The sixth step supports communities of practice across ministries to deliver
projects in ministries.

The seventh step trains and supports internal consultants to facilitate
and scale implementation. These final two steps relate to scaling a
programme template and solutions across ministries to achieve the overall
programme goal.


Stages in meshwork development roadmap

Starting point Commitment to the national programme goals.

Facilitated process, dialogue or A scenario of future story for success – like the Dinokeng third scenario
presentation of enabling government “walking together.”

Facilitate chosen cross- A “template” of Projects and
ministry, cross project network, Conditions for success and Political
Commitment

task force or experts to develop knowledge base of success Partnership Legislation

“template” and roadmap for stories.
MDGs 4&5

implementation. Cultural
In Country
Financial
Resourcing
These can be deduced from the Practices

project plans and milestones for Education
Health
System

national commitments.

Implement collaborative Monitoring to track progress of projects and conditions over time,
monitoring and knowledge identify strengths, focus resources and fill gaps. Benchmarking to
sharing. support peer learning. Similar to Nelson Mandela Metro’s IDP
monitoring, but on a much larger scale.
(Gaiasoft’s scorecard combines
Pill ar > Condition Mar-09 Apr-09 May-09 Jun-09
Monitoring & Evaluation for Financial Resourci ng
projects and conditions with Health Budgeting Performing Performing Performing Perf orming
tracking measures and actions, Gende r Budgeting Developing Developing Performing Perf orming
Insurance System Beginning Developing Developing Developing
and stores success stories.) Free Services Beginning Beginning Beginning Beginning
T axation support Developing Performing Performing Perf orming

Coordinate development of Develop online communities of
communities of practice. This practice for project pillars and
begins with a face-to-face ministries. Photo below shows
meeting where a “meshwall” is development of a meshwall.
used to connect people according
to, in this case, ministries and
projects. This process continues
in an online meshwork which
other stakeholders can later join.
This step is to facilitate
community building for
collaboration.
Communities of practice extend to
business, community, NGOs and
education institutions.

Coordinate and align Coordinating government, business, community, media, etc using
stakeholders working between template to direct resources to identify pillars and conditions for success
different stakeholder groups and in each place, e.g. Province/District.
communities.

Training of community Training and support internal facilitators to align and implement
development specialists to scale. programme projects.


12. Conclusion

This paper proposes a shared service model for monitoring and evaluation
to fast track capacity building and achievement of national goals. We
propose a meshwork approach to programme management to enable
implementation across ministries and the three spheres of government,
and to enable collaboration with business, civil society and other
stakeholders. The meshwork approach is ideally suited to the urgent
service delivery and implementation commitments of the President and
the 2009-2014 programme. Global best practice from the EU MIDIR
research project clearly indicates the need for integrated programme
management for development. The solution outlined in this paper is
uniquely and fully compliant with EU MIDIR project selection criteria set
out in Appendix 1.

Meshworking is an integrated approach. The monitoring and evaluation
software platform proposed is proven in use in South Africa, for example
in Nelson Mandela Metro as described above. In addition, the
international meshworking examples of Dutch Government (Ministry
VROM), cross-sector sustainability projects (Leaders for Nature) and US
“Resilient Cities Initiative” demonstrate the generality of the approach.

Meshworking is uniquely suitable for cross-cutting government
programmes. Meshworking enables effective identification, sharing and
implementation of solutions to the complex challenges of eradicating
poverty, protecting jobs and achieving development. Meshworking
provides technology support which connects people, performance and
knowledge within the framework of the meshwork. The Action Learning
approach to capacity building is proven to work in South Africa through
project Khaedu, and makes an excellent fit with the meshwork solution
and philosophy.

ICT-Works, AIA and Gaiasoft are uniquely experienced in combining large-
scale ICT project experience, capacity building, performance management
and meshworking track record. ICT-Works, AIA and Gaiasoft offer a
programme meshwork support solution to reduce the cost, time and risk
of building capacity and implementing cross-cutting service delivery
programmes. The Action Learning approach finds grass roots solutions
that work. The meshwork approach works across organisation boundaries
even when solutions are not fully defined, bringing the rigour of
programme management to the challenges of implementing the
commitments of the 2009-2014 South African Government programme.


Appendix 1: Selection Criteria for software to support MIDIR

These criteria are reproduced from the EU MIDIR Report 2.4 in the
paragraphs and table below

...the MIDIR methodology provides a solution to the rapid, scalable
transformation of complex systems through knowledge sharing and
learning. The approach applies directly to collaboration for climate change
response, implementation of resilience and sustainable development.
Figure 4.1 [of the quoted MIDIR Report 2.4] above depicts a generic end-
to-end process from goal to governance system.

To facilitate the implementation of the end to end process described
above, an integrated technology platform is required to support
accountability, measurement of performance, transformation and culture,
management of actions, capturing related knowledge of Positive Proof
Points as a reusable template or pattern library. These templates must be
implementable as a governance and management system at multiple
levels of organisation or governance, for example national, provincial and
local.

To facilitate the collaboration across functions and organisations, lenses
are required allowing different stakeholder groups to understand through
the perspectives of others. Finally the same collaboration platform must
be securely, shareable between different stakeholders across boundaries
of organisation and function, allowing different groups to receive the
information they need, but only what they are entitled to. The suitability
of a software tool or platform to support this approach can be assessed
using the requirements in Figure 6.1 “Selection Criteria for software to
support large-scale learning and implementation.”

In comparing and selecting tools, a prospective solution can be rated:

Red/Yellow/Green or

Non-Compliant/Partially Compliant/Compliant

for each of the requirements in the table below using a maturity
model/check list.

Below is Figure 6.1 Selection Criteria for software to support large-scale
learning and implementation from MIDIR Report 2.4.


Requirement Why it’s important R Y G

1. Accountability Accountability provides the basis for maintaining standards,
driving improvement and change.

2. Measuring Measurement provides the basis for accountability.
performance Performance measures indicate whether a process is delivering.
Performance measures are most relevant to a stable
organisation. Where structural and cultural transformation is
required, the key accountability of leaders may be for
transformation and for culture and values.

3. Measuring Transformation of an organisation depends on many projects
transformation and changes – structures, processes, systems. The
management system must be able to measure the
transformation of structures, processes and systems.

4. Measuring Transformation of organisations depends on culture, on trust,
culture on collaboration. The management system must be able to
measure the culture of the organisation as it is and the gap
between current culture and desired culture.

5. Action Action management is the driver of results and the engine of
management continuous improvement (through the plan-do-check-act cycle
of quality management).

6. Knowledge: Knowledge is organised according to the measure it impacts,
Challenges, the 80/20 challenges which must be met to perform in that
Solutions & measure and the 80/20 solutions, supported by case studies.ii
Case Stories
7. Reusable Reusable templates consist of measures, knowledge and Action
templates Learning resources which are used to drive change through a
performance management process.

8. Fractal – Reusable templates appropriate to different types and levels of
multiple levels organisation, for example business and government at
– National; national, provincial and local levels. Management and
knowledge management systems enable collaboration and
Provincial; learning between types and levels of organisation. This is a
Local requirement due to the increasing interdependency between
different sectors and organisation types.

9. Lenses – Different stakeholders have different perspectives on the
multiple views transition – for example, financial, environmental, compliance
for different and regulatory.
stakeholders
10. Interagency / Different stakeholders and supply chain partners require
multi confidential subsets of shared information to allow optimisation
stakeholder – and tuning of performance, for example across a network of
government agencies or businesses in a supply chain.
lenses, filters,
content


Appendix 2: Action Learning (and Project Khaedu)

Action Learning is the approach of learning by doing. In South Africa,
Action Learning has been extensively used and proven successful, for
example in the strategic transformation of South African Revenue Services
(SARS) and in Project Khaedu described below. We have many
committed managers, but many are struggling with how to implement
with limited hands on training. Action Learning addresses that gap. Why
does Action Learning work? Studies have shown the best way to learn is
‘by doing’.

Skills absorption success rate

80%

64%
60

40 37%

20 19%

8%

0
By doing Through Lecturing Lecturing
observation with exam with no exam

Source: US Government analysis of training efficiency, 2002
7

AIA has developed highly tailored Action Learning programmes for Health,
Education, Economic Development, Public Works, Local Government and
Municipal Managers based on AIA’s extensive work in these areas. In
addition there are cross-cutting programmes in Strategic Planning,
Modern Work Study, Modern Human Resource Management, Process
Analysis, Project Management, Organisation Design, Public Sector Finance
for non-financial managers and Training Design. All of these programmes
are very practically focused and build on the simple, robust best practices
that have been uncovered in many public institutions here in South Africa.
Action Learning exposes managers to these best practices and how they
can be implemented in their own environments.

Background to Project Khaedu

The Government introduced Batho Pele
in 1997 as an initiative to improve
service delivery in the public service
based on the principle of putting “people
first” In 2003, a survey was conducted
on the effectiveness of Batho Pele.
Cabinet’s view was that many senior
managers were “floating above” the
issues on the ground i.e. they were not
getting involved with service delivery at


the “coal face”. As a result, in August 2004 Cabinet made a decision
which requires all SMS members to spend a period of at least 5 days
examining service delivery issues ‘at the Coal Face’. This mandate was
given to the DPSA to implement. To ensure that the deployment process
was as useful as possible, it was decided to combine the ‘Coal Face’
deployment with a period of intense problem solving skills development –
in combination with a programme called Project Khaedu (Venda for
“Challenge”). Piloted in 2004 and early 2005, Project Khaedu has proved
very successful with both participants and the organisations that have
hosted teams during their ‘Coal Face’ deployments.

Project Khaedu is an innovative Action Learning programme, aimed at
SMS and MMS managers in the public service, with:

i Case-study based approach, following best practices at leading
international business schools e.g. Harvard
i Case-studies reflecting real SA public service experiences
i Heavy emphasis on team-based challenges and problem solving
skills
i Focus on developing practical skills which can be used to improve
your efficiency and effectiveness in your job today

Since its inception in 2004, Project Khaedu has enjoyed significant
success:

• Over 3,900 managers have attended with an average satisfaction
score of 92%
• All 9 provincial governments and the overwhelming majority of
national departments have participated
• Many of the deployment reports have been followed-up with
significant impact in the respective sites

In late 2007, the programme was transferred from the DPSA to PALAMA7
(formerly the SAMDI) and was extended to MMS, as well as SMS
managers. Africa International Advisors remains the service provider for
the programme, in partnership with PALAMA.

7
PALAMA = Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy


Contacts

ICT-Works
Hannelie Pienaar: hannelie@ict-works.co.za +27 82 551 2991

Nothukela Sereo: nothukela@ict-works.co.za +27 73 643 7123

QVCS Africa, ICT-Works’ specialist implementation partner
Chris Kruger: chris@qvcs.co.za +27 83 268 9630

AIA, Africa International Advisors
Tim Hough: timhough@africaia.com +27 83 326 9007

Gaiasoft International
Morel Fourman: morel.fourman@gaiasoft.com +44 7710 307 011

i
Meshwork as it relates to a social process is a trademark of CHE Netherlands on behalf of CHE Global. Meshwork as
it relates to collaboration, performance management or knowledge management software is a trademark of Gaiasoft
IP Ltd.
ii
80/20 Challenges refer to the small number of key challenges which are barriers to performance.
80/20 solutions refer to the small number of key solutions that address each challenge. Case studies
refer to the positive proof points which demonstrate solutions.


M&E For Presidents Programme For Sa Version 1.2

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