Lesedi Is a Researcher and Evaluator with over 4 years’ work experience in research and evaluation development. His main research and consulting areas are: Evaluations of educational Programmes, Policy Surveys; Programme Monitoring and Evaluations (M&E), Feasibility Studies.
Background: The establishment of democratic local government in South Africa in 2000 decentralise... more Background: The establishment of democratic local government in South Africa in 2000 decentralised the decision-making powers from the centre to the periphery. Municipalities are accountable for their own financial preparation and the planning of their budgetary processes. Notwithstanding the enormous investment in terms of resources, empirical studies and municipal audit reports revealed that most of the South African municipalities were not taking corrective action on the issues of irregularities raised in prior year audits; hence, some of the weaknesses and problems remained unresolved or were recurring yearly.
Objectives: To identify and discuss the factors that influence municipalities’ failure to implement audit recommendations given by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) efficiently and effectively.
Methods: The research methodology used in this study was mainly qualitative and relied heavily on robust literature study and the review of key official documents, such as reports on local government performance.
Results: The main findings of this study are that factors influencing implementation of audit recommendation include availability of resources and time, lack of audit action monitoring processes, absence of authority, staffing problems and sometimes the poor quality of audit recommendations.
Conclusion: To deal with these problems, the study recommends a number of practical strategies. These include regular progress monitoring, improving the quality of the AGSA’s recommendations and the amendment of the Public Audit Act to empower the auditor general. Most importantly, the study recommends the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) unit to regularly track progress for proper implementation of audit recommendations in the South African municipalities.
As we prepare this recommendation our country and the world at large are held hostage by the Coro... more As we prepare this recommendation our country and the world at large are held hostage by the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. South Africans are in lockdown, as are many of our compatriots in other countries, and there is much talk about online learning, not by choice, but of course the necessity of the precarious situation we find ourselves in. In fact, through a strange combination of authentic goodwill and opportunistic marketing, the middle and upper classes are being overwhelmed by an avalanche of online resources. Those with some form of digital access are feeling “more connected than ever, even during lockdown and self-isolation”. Life as we know it has changed and a post-COVID-19 world will be one in which the current digital revolution will undoubtedly accelerate beyond our wildest expectations. Unfortunately, this world will also be one in which the deep inequalities in developing countries, and here South Africa is the most unequal, will be further entrenched. Looking beyond the immediate threat of COVID-19, South African finds itself in the precarious situation where youth unemployment, currently estimated as high as 53% , is being exacerbated by a looming economic downturn, and a seemingly intractable problem with the quality of schooling. Overlaying these systemic problems is a qualifications system that has slowly-but-surely becoming too rigid to ensure sufficient articulation across sub-systems, only allowing a few fortunate youths to progress from schooling to higher education, while some are channeled to the strongly perceived second-choice Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. This is while the majority of youth drop out before reaching matric, adding to the growing pool of now more than 5,6 million youth not in any kind of education, employment or training (NEETs). Those lucky enough to leave schooling with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass that provides access to higher education, are often criticised for not being able to perform basic cognitive functions that would have been expected at this level, requiring higher education institutions (HEIs) to invest heavily in bridging programmes and admission tests. Employers are equally affected, and struggle to find appropriately skilled people to fill vacancies, even at lower levels.
Background: The establishment of democratic local government in South Africa in 2000 decentralise... more Background: The establishment of democratic local government in South Africa in 2000 decentralised the decision-making powers from the centre to the periphery. Municipalities are accountable for their own financial preparation and the planning of their budgetary processes. Notwithstanding the enormous investment in terms of resources, empirical studies and municipal audit reports revealed that most of the South African municipalities were not taking corrective action on the issues of irregularities raised in prior year audits; hence, some of the weaknesses and problems remained unresolved or were recurring yearly.Objectives: To identify and discuss the factors that influence municipalities’ failure to implement audit recommendations given by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) efficiently and effectively.Methods: The research methodology used in this study was mainly qualitative and relied heavily on robust literature study and the review of key official documents, such as re...
Evidence-based practices (EBPs) to education policy-decisions have huge potential for improving e... more Evidence-based practices (EBPs) to education policy-decisions have huge potential for improving education outcomes and designing impactful interventions. However, very little attention has been given to the contents of Early Childhood Development (ECD) education programmes, particularly in South African ECD centres. Despite critical efforts to design interventions that are aimed at improving the ECD sector, much still needs to be done in terms of using EBPs to inform effective interventions in the ECD practice. The objective of this study is to identify and discuss the challenges of using evidence-based practices in ECD interventions and centres. To achieve the objectives of the study, a desktop research approach is used that relied heavily on a robust literature study and the review of key official documents such as reports on ECD literature. The main findings of this study concerning challenges of using EPBs include the lack of availability of resources and time, failure to access...
Background: The establishment of democratic local government in South Africa in 2000 decentralise... more Background: The establishment of democratic local government in South Africa in 2000 decentralised the decision-making powers from the centre to the periphery. Municipalities are accountable for their own financial preparation and the planning of their budgetary processes. Notwithstanding the enormous investment in terms of resources, empirical studies and municipal audit reports revealed that most of the South African municipalities were not taking corrective action on the issues of irregularities raised in prior year audits; hence, some of the weaknesses and problems remained unresolved or were recurring yearly.
Objectives: To identify and discuss the factors that influence municipalities’ failure to implement audit recommendations given by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) efficiently and effectively.
Methods: The research methodology used in this study was mainly qualitative and relied heavily on robust literature study and the review of key official documents, such as reports on local government performance.
Results: The main findings of this study are that factors influencing implementation of audit recommendation include availability of resources and time, lack of audit action monitoring processes, absence of authority, staffing problems and sometimes the poor quality of audit recommendations.
Conclusion: To deal with these problems, the study recommends a number of practical strategies. These include regular progress monitoring, improving the quality of the AGSA’s recommendations and the amendment of the Public Audit Act to empower the auditor general. Most importantly, the study recommends the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) unit to regularly track progress for proper implementation of audit recommendations in the South African municipalities.
As we prepare this recommendation our country and the world at large are held hostage by the Coro... more As we prepare this recommendation our country and the world at large are held hostage by the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. South Africans are in lockdown, as are many of our compatriots in other countries, and there is much talk about online learning, not by choice, but of course the necessity of the precarious situation we find ourselves in. In fact, through a strange combination of authentic goodwill and opportunistic marketing, the middle and upper classes are being overwhelmed by an avalanche of online resources. Those with some form of digital access are feeling “more connected than ever, even during lockdown and self-isolation”. Life as we know it has changed and a post-COVID-19 world will be one in which the current digital revolution will undoubtedly accelerate beyond our wildest expectations. Unfortunately, this world will also be one in which the deep inequalities in developing countries, and here South Africa is the most unequal, will be further entrenched. Looking beyond the immediate threat of COVID-19, South African finds itself in the precarious situation where youth unemployment, currently estimated as high as 53% , is being exacerbated by a looming economic downturn, and a seemingly intractable problem with the quality of schooling. Overlaying these systemic problems is a qualifications system that has slowly-but-surely becoming too rigid to ensure sufficient articulation across sub-systems, only allowing a few fortunate youths to progress from schooling to higher education, while some are channeled to the strongly perceived second-choice Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. This is while the majority of youth drop out before reaching matric, adding to the growing pool of now more than 5,6 million youth not in any kind of education, employment or training (NEETs). Those lucky enough to leave schooling with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass that provides access to higher education, are often criticised for not being able to perform basic cognitive functions that would have been expected at this level, requiring higher education institutions (HEIs) to invest heavily in bridging programmes and admission tests. Employers are equally affected, and struggle to find appropriately skilled people to fill vacancies, even at lower levels.
Background: The establishment of democratic local government in South Africa in 2000 decentralise... more Background: The establishment of democratic local government in South Africa in 2000 decentralised the decision-making powers from the centre to the periphery. Municipalities are accountable for their own financial preparation and the planning of their budgetary processes. Notwithstanding the enormous investment in terms of resources, empirical studies and municipal audit reports revealed that most of the South African municipalities were not taking corrective action on the issues of irregularities raised in prior year audits; hence, some of the weaknesses and problems remained unresolved or were recurring yearly.Objectives: To identify and discuss the factors that influence municipalities’ failure to implement audit recommendations given by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) efficiently and effectively.Methods: The research methodology used in this study was mainly qualitative and relied heavily on robust literature study and the review of key official documents, such as re...
Evidence-based practices (EBPs) to education policy-decisions have huge potential for improving e... more Evidence-based practices (EBPs) to education policy-decisions have huge potential for improving education outcomes and designing impactful interventions. However, very little attention has been given to the contents of Early Childhood Development (ECD) education programmes, particularly in South African ECD centres. Despite critical efforts to design interventions that are aimed at improving the ECD sector, much still needs to be done in terms of using EBPs to inform effective interventions in the ECD practice. The objective of this study is to identify and discuss the challenges of using evidence-based practices in ECD interventions and centres. To achieve the objectives of the study, a desktop research approach is used that relied heavily on a robust literature study and the review of key official documents such as reports on ECD literature. The main findings of this study concerning challenges of using EPBs include the lack of availability of resources and time, failure to access...
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Objectives: To identify and discuss the factors that influence municipalities’ failure to implement audit recommendations given by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) efficiently and effectively.
Methods: The research methodology used in this study was mainly qualitative and relied heavily on robust literature study and the review of key official documents, such as reports on local government performance.
Results: The main findings of this study are that factors influencing implementation of audit recommendation include availability of resources and time, lack of audit action monitoring processes, absence of authority, staffing problems and sometimes the poor quality of audit recommendations.
Conclusion: To deal with these problems, the study recommends a number of practical strategies. These include regular progress monitoring, improving the quality of the AGSA’s recommendations and the amendment of the Public Audit Act to empower the auditor general. Most importantly, the study recommends the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) unit to regularly track progress for proper implementation of audit recommendations in the South African municipalities.
Objectives: To identify and discuss the factors that influence municipalities’ failure to implement audit recommendations given by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) efficiently and effectively.
Methods: The research methodology used in this study was mainly qualitative and relied heavily on robust literature study and the review of key official documents, such as reports on local government performance.
Results: The main findings of this study are that factors influencing implementation of audit recommendation include availability of resources and time, lack of audit action monitoring processes, absence of authority, staffing problems and sometimes the poor quality of audit recommendations.
Conclusion: To deal with these problems, the study recommends a number of practical strategies. These include regular progress monitoring, improving the quality of the AGSA’s recommendations and the amendment of the Public Audit Act to empower the auditor general. Most importantly, the study recommends the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) unit to regularly track progress for proper implementation of audit recommendations in the South African municipalities.