Browsing by Author "Ile, Isioma"
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Item Assessing the effectiveness of the Western Cape Provincial Youth Development Strategy: A case study of IAP Mitchell’s Plain Youth Café programmes (2014-2019).(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Nonxuba, Siphamandla; Ile, IsiomaIt has been more than 8 years since the Western Cape Government established the Provincial Youth Development Strategy in 2013. However, there has not been evaluative studies that assess the effectiveness of the programmes of the I Am Passion (IAP) Mitchell's Plain Youth Café. Drawing on both secondary qualitative and quantitative research data from 17 graduates who graduated from the Leadership Mastery Programme from IAP Youth café-Mitchell's Plain. This study presents findings in relation to two themes: Life before the leadership mastery course, and Life at the Youth Café and the anticipated life after the program (s) in connection with study objectives. The findings indicate that the leadership mastery programme effectively impacted the past graduates. However, the progress made when compared to the targets of the Western Cape Government as envisaged in the youth strategy is very little between the periods of 2014 to 2019.Item Beyond the buzzword: A framework for an indigenous relational evaluation in traditional communities in Ghana(SAGE Publications, 2021) Boadu, SE; Ile, IsiomaThe notions of indigenous knowledge and cultural philosophies are becoming ubiquitous in many social inquiries and evaluation is no exception. Nonetheless, the pursuit to making evaluation impulses embedded in indigenous philosophies relevant in evaluation activities is yet to succeed. Thus, the article discusses the indigenous relational philosophies, approaches and practices of evaluation. Using qualitative research approaches, the study interviewed 43 indigenous development leaders and other local representatives in three local government areas in Ghana.Item Enhancing participatory democracy: in municipal affairs through the ward committee system: A participatory monitoring and evaluation approach(University of the Western Cape, 2018) de Vries, Stephen; Ile, IsiomaLocal government is a key point of service delivery and is the sphere where most people interface with government. A good relationship with communities at local government level is therefore critical. Ward committees were designed to improve the relationship between citizens and municipalities and to give effect to the constitutional obligations of municipalities, to provide democratic government and to involve citizens in the affairs of local government. The establishment of ward committees has been met with great enthusiasm by local communities, as a platform to engage with municipalities. National government and provincial governments were key drivers in this project , with support to municipalities in the establishment of ward committee. This endeavour was intended to facilitate better relationships and cooperation between council and its communities. This objective of this research study was to explore whether participatory democracy can be enhanced through a participatory monitoring and evaluation approach within the current ward committee system. The main research question was whether ward committees could be utilised as effective instruments for participatory monitoring and evaluation of municipal service? The sub-questions were: what is the theoretical and legal framework for ward committees; what was the status of ward committee in Knysna Municipality; what were the challenges of the ward committee system; is there a role for ward committees in participatory monitoring and evaluation; and were there recommendations for the involvement of ward committees in participatory, monitoring and evaluation and improvement of the efficacy of ward committees? The study arose out of continuous service delivery protests by communities because of the dissatisfaction with the state of municipal services. Secondly, various research studies have found that, despite national, provincial and local government support programmes for ward committees, the majority remain ineffective and inefficient, and the social distance between communities and municipalities is growing. The lack of communication and the non-responsiveness of municipalities were found to be some of the main causes for the ineffectiveness of ward committees. Key theorists suggest that some of these protests would not occur if effective monitoring and evaluation are institutionalised and communities are involved in monitoring and evaluation. A participatory approach for monitoring and evaluation was therefore examined within the local government legislative framework of South Africa. A qualitative research method was chosen, using a case study design. The case study design was chosen because such studies do not attempt to make any generalisations in term of the results or that it will be similar in another case study. This study was focussed on exploring and understanding the issue. Primary data was collected through interviews and focus groups with ward committee members, ward councillors and municipal officials. Key findings gave emphasis to challenges of lack of communication, non-responsiveness of municipalities and contestation from other community-based organisations that had a negative impact on the credibility and authority of ward committees. The effectiveness of the municipal performance management system as a monitoring and evaluation tool was also questioned in the findings. The significance or value of the study lies in the finding that willingness for participatory monitoring and evaluation exists as does the insight into the status of municipal performance management systems. Recommendations are made for delegating monitoring and evaluation functions to ward committees. Further investigations into modalities for participatory or result-based monitoring and evaluation, as well as the impact of financial and audit driven performance management system are recommended.Item Evaluating social housing intervention strategies in a South African municipality(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013) Makiva, Msuthukazi; Ile, IsiomaAccording to the Department of Human Settlement Annual Report (2010:5) accelerating the delivery of housing opportunities by 2014 by providing proper basic services and land tenure to households currently living in informal settlements, is the government’s mandate that must be realised. Following this objective, the Western Cape devised strategies to accelerate housing delivery and service improvement in the informal areas. For example, an Integrated Human Settlement Plan was developed to contextualise the City of Cape Town’s strategy for the provision of equitable and affordable shelter to all, (City of Cape Town Service Delivery Report 2005/6:177). This plan sparked the development of a City-wide Spatial Development Plan, involving various role players and integrated planning processes. The Five Year Integrated Housing Plan, (2007/8 – 2011/12:7) recognises this as it argues that the City of Cape Town’s objective is accelerating housing provision and ensuring that land utilisation is well planned, managed and monitored. To achieve all this on a broader scale, the City has adopted the national Breaking New Ground plan (BNG) for the development of sustainable human settlements and has also aligned itself with the Provincial Government’s Western Cape Sustainable Human Settlement Strategy called ‘Isidima’, (Five Year Integrated Housing Plan, 2007/8 – 2011/12: 7). According to the Five Year Integrated Housing Plan (2007/8 – 2011/12:7), these two instruments are a shift from traditional approaches to the holistic provision of housing, with the aim of developing and improving integrated human settlements. Despite these joint initiatives, it appears that Cape Town is still experiencing a huge housing backlog. This could be blamed on the failure to plan for migration into the Western Cape. This article, examines the extent to which the housing intervention strategies are effective in dealing with the housing dilemma in Cape Town.Item Evaluation innovation in Africa: towards indigenously responsive evaluation (ire) philosophies, methods and practices in Ghana(African journal of science, technology, innovation and development, 2023) Boadu, Evans Sakyi; Ile, IsiomaEvaluation within an indigenous society is a social activity. Thus, it requires both tangible and intangible or hidden factors such as cultural values, norms, communal relational structures, power dynamics, attitudes, consensus-building, community aspirations, empowerment and other practical knowledge to develop an inclusive evaluation framework. Utilizing a culturally responsive evaluation (CRE) approach, this study examined evaluative instincts rooted in indigenous values, relational patterns, knowledge systems and other cultural realities. Indigenous evaluation impulse exists in native ideas, social structures and other cultural realities but could these indigenous evaluative impulses augment and shape contemporary evaluation philosophies, approaches and practices in Ghana? The study observed that there are several tangible and intangible evaluative dimensions that are deeply-rooted in cultural values, maxims, norms and other social patterns within the indigenous communities. Consequently, comparable dimensions could be advanced and established in the present evaluation research to add further depth and rigour to the study in this field.Item Exploring plausible futures and its implications for the governance of local food systems using local actors’ expertise in the Witzenberg region.(University of Western Cape, 2020) Haywood, Ashley; Ile, Isioma; Losch, BDespite having a significant agri-food sector, South Africa is faced with strong food security issues related to high inequalities and the legacy of the apartheid regime. The South African food system finds itself at risk of alienating the majority of its citizens from realizing their right to access food granted by the South African Constitution (1996) Section 27(1)(b). Increasing poverty, unemployment and poor governance are making it harder for ordinary South African citizens to put safe and nutritious food on the table. Part of the food security issue in South Africa is that there is an inefficiency in public policies. It can be explained by the extreme segmentation of public action between departments and also by the limitations and ineffectiveness of decentralization resulting in little to no involvement from local governments. Like most socio-economic issues, the effects of food insecurity are first experienced on the ground at the local level where municipalities are at the forefront. The absence of effective policy around food security and food systems at the local level in South Africa leaves room for research on improved local food governance. Municipalities should be best suited to understand the consequences of food insecurity and could therefore use some of their constitutional mandate which provides some room for manoeuvre with regard to food issues. The aim of this study is to raise awareness of food security issues at the municipal level and to identify ways to facilitate engagement by municipalities. Its main objective was to adopt a foresight approach, using scenarios with local actors, and to understand how it can help improve the engagement of municipalities and citizens in the food security debate and take possible action. This research has made use of an existing collaboration between the Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) developed in the Western Cape. The collaboration focuses on the understanding of the food policy space in South Africa, the results of existing policies, and how the co-production of knowledge between stakeholders, notably at the local level, can contribute to policy improvement.Item The paradox of youth empowerment: Exploring youth intervention programme in Ghana(Cogent OA, 2018) Ile, Isioma; Boadu, Evans SakyiEmpowerment is a necessary determinant of young people’s participation in national, regional and district or local level decision-making processes. For inclusiveness in any social intervention programme, the policy process should be allembracing sharing of knowledge and active stakeholders’ participation which includes the youth. This paper delineates the context of Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) by focusing on the extent to which the programme beneficiaries (youth) were empowered to play active roles in the decision policy processes which goes beyond the rhetoric. In particular, to unpack the perception that young people empowerment in a youth-oriented programme has the potential of curbing the problem of exclusion. Inferences from the concept of an empowerment might be the premise for rethinking the debate surrounding youth empowerment in the initiatives oriented towards young people. Youth in Ghana has a very little aptitude and plays an inconsequential role in policy design; therefore, the need arises for youth empowerment to enable them to engage in the broader national policies. Having assumed a negative deviation after a further analysis using empowerment perception index (EPI), the study revealed that youth marginal involvement and consultation in decision making cannot constitute empowerment to any degree. Given the crucial implications of this for youth policy implementations at the national as well as subnational level, the paper recommended some pathways for ensuring youth empowerment in youth-oriented programmes in Ghana.Item The politics of youth participation in social intervention programmes in Ghana: Implications for participatory monitoring and evaluation (pm&e)(Lifescience Global Canada Inc., 2018) Boadu, Evans Sakyi; Ile, IsiomaParticipatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) in project evaluation has gained impetus in recent literature. This paper interrogates youth participation in intervention programmes in Ghana with special reference to Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP). With the aid of primary and secondary data, this paper unpacks the questions around programme target beneficiaries, their mode of participation and the impacts of current models on PM&E. The study reveals the key constraints of youth participation in PM&E, the evolving disapproval of the top-down approach while probing into the existing opportunities. The case study reveals that youth intervention programmes in Ghana are not only confronted with uncoordinated and overlapping ministries, department and agencies, but also there are power dynamics between stakeholders, in particular, target beneficiaries and programme implementers. The elusive intersection between beneficiaries and the implementing agency impacted negatively on the programme sustainability. The poor PM&E in youth intervention programmes in Ghana is a key reason that has hampered mainstream socio-economic development. The key lesson to be drawn from the case study is the need for matching perspectives of PM&E as well as a recognition and management of power disparities between target beneficiaries and programme implementers. Thus, realizing desired programme objectives will require a different approach to structuring, implementing and monitoring of youth intervention initiatives in Ghana.