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AfCoP Sourcebook LIVE: Managing for development results within the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA):
Managing for development results within the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA):
Author: LM Bosch 07 July 2009
Click here to access discussion resources and media
Author: LM Bosch 07 July 2009
Click here to access discussion resources and media
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is the arm of government that gives social grants to the poor and the infirm (i.e. to the elderly, the disabled and children). In doing so, the government has spent well over 70 billion Rand during a period of five years. In spending such a large amount of money, the government would like to know whether or not this money is being spent correctly, reaches the correct beneficiaries and brings the intended changes to beneficiaries’ lives. Hence, the motto of SASSA is: “paying the right social grant, at the right time and place, NJALO”.(NJALO means ALWAYS) In fulfilling its mandate, SASSA faces a myriad of challenges among which are to (i) provide a comprehensive social security services to vulnerable groups whose true social needs are often difficult to assess; (ii) deliver quality services to beneficiaries within the context of skill shortages; (iii) overcome widespread fraud and leakages. The government needs SASSA to tell it whether there is systematic theft or fraudulent activities either in the system of delivering these grants or among officials who are tasked with giving these grants. Other than social assistance grants, the government is also thinking of a wider one-stop system of social security which would include beneficiaries who receive or qualify to receive money for, say, being involved in a car accident, getting injured on duty, or contributing to a pension scheme whilst working so that government can pay you a certain amount when you retire.
In order to render services in an efficient and effective manner, as well as to track improvements that the government hopes to achieve by delivering social grants and other forms of assistance, the government has allowed SASSA to introduce what is referred to as an Integrated Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation framework. Simply put, this framework seeks to manage or track the results of its social assistance interventions, from the beginning of giving someone a social grant, right up to the end. As we track our performance and as we implement our programs or policies (for example administering grants to children, the disabled and the aged, or thinking of extending these grants to older children) we need a results-based system of management that can identify program strengths and/or weaknesses, as well as provide guidance on what needs to be discarded because it does not work or what needs to be retained because it works better.
The South African Social Security Agency therefore introduced a Monitoring and Evaluation unit, whose job was to champion Monitoring and Evaluation as a management practice that is adopted by all units within the agency, including those people based either at national, provincial or local levels who were rendering services to beneficiaries. Through this, the unit applies time-tested monitoring and evaluation methods, tools and strategies. They would also improve or develop capacity among SASSA staff and improve SASSA Communication Plans. Some of the M & E methods to be implemented will help find out from other stakeholders what the best practices are , interview beneficiaries and even research the real life experiences of beneficiaries in order to understand how and in what manner these grants are used within the context of a household. Finally, the overall intention is to find out whether or not our social grants actually improve recipients’ lives in some way – by alleviating their poverty-stricken circumstances, enabling children to go to school, assisting adults in finding work, or enabling our senior citizens to spend the rest of their lives with dignity.
The challenge is: how do we say with certainty that it is largely due to the delivery of our social grants that our citizen’s lives have been improved when so many other interventions (e.g. school feeding schemes, intensive labour-adoption schemes, soup kitchens, and so on) can claim the same impact? Our system has to show the extent to which our social grants have made a difference in people’s lives. If we can prove this to government, then it will be easier for us to continue rendering these essential services to our citizens.
Views: 77
- Attachments:
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SASSA M&E FRAMEWORK-FINAL.pdf, 6.5 MB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ledule Bosch on -
Ledule Bosch said:Dear CoP on Mfdr and all interest parties!!!
Our discussion on managing for development results has been an eye opener, and one has learned a lot in the process. The responses recieved so far will be used to further review and enhance our M&E system. I am still looking forward to engage more with relevant stakeholder across Africa and the Continent.
I am therefore appealing to anyone interested in managing for development results to further join in and add value to this important discussion. My target is to have at least 40 responses to this discussion before the end of September 2009.
The attached documents indicate the integrated approach which SASSA has adopted to reach the most vulnerable people in the most deepest poor rural areas of South Africa. The picture attached depicts a mobile truck used to assist with the grant value chain from application to approval within a 1 day turn around time. The words on the truck " Siyaya emphakathini" simply means, " we reach the deepest rural areas of our country". The 2nd picture is the Results Chain model adopted by SASSA.
Lets enjoy chatting to each other so we add value to the quality of life of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
South Africa cares for its citizens, so is rest of Africa and the continent.
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Permalink Reply by Ledule Bosch on
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Ledule Bosch said:The attached presentation and photos indicate the extend to which SASSA has engaged with international partners to institutionalise its Monitoring and Evaluation System. The framework was presented at Melbourne, Australia and New Zealand.
Watch the space for video and photos of SASSA's beneficiaries as well as state of facilities used to ensure that even the most rural parts of South Africa is reached.
I would appreciate more discussions and engagements on this topic!!!!!
Ledule
src="http://api.ning.com/files/dbNXa2IUlDG0o61Z55vnYt9LUWSNzWDofzv6AvIZ6lEDNT9p60b1V3NyMfeR-64Y3tVq5oVmjTkvrQDU-Q9o51Y8eBNBH0fd/073_73.JPG">
Ledule Bosch said:
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Permalink Reply by Ledule Bosch on
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The attached presentation and photos indicate the extend to which SASSA has engaged with international partners to institutionalise its Monitoring and Evaluation System. The framework was presented at Melbourne, Australia and New Zealand.
Watch the space for video and photos of SASSA's beneficiaries as well as state of facilities used to ensure that even the most rural parts of South Africa is reached.
I would appreciate more discussions and engagements on this topic!!!!!
Ledule Bosch said:
-
Permalink Reply by Ledule Bosch on
-
Dear CoP on Mfdr and all interest parties!!!
Our discussion on managing for development results has been an eye opener, and one has learned a lot in the process. The responses recieved so far will be used to further review and enhance our M&E system. I am still looking forward to engage more with relevant stakeholder across Africa and the Continent.
I am therefore appealing to anyone interested in managing for development results to further join in and add value to this important discussion. My target is to have at least 40 responses to this discussion before the end of September 2009.
The attached documents indicate the integrated approach which SASSA has adopted to reach the most vulnerable people in the most deepest poor rural areas of South Africa. The picture attached depicts a mobile truck used to assist with the grant value chain from application to approval within a 1 day turn around time. The words on the truck " Siyaya emphakathini" simply means, " we reach the deepest rural areas of our country". The 2nd picture is the Results Chain model adopted by SASSA.
Lets enjoy chatting to each other so we add value to the quality of life of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
South Africa cares for its citizens, so is rest of Africa and the continent.
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