The Center for Criminal Justice (CCJ) was selected for the case study, given its history of using M&E in its outreach program implementation. The Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary defines purpose as 'the intention, purpose or function of something; the thing that something is supposed to achieve' (Wehmeier 2001: 948).
Research Problems and Objectives: broad questions to be asked
The contextual issues investigated in M&E practice within the CCJ range from common assumptions, understandings of theory and practice and how these affect actual M&E practice within the organisation. What is the meaning of M&E within CCJ. different perceptions of what M and V are among different stakeholders; including the differences between monitoring and evaluation).
Overview of Research Design
- Case Study
- Sampling
- Data Collection Method
- Data Analysis
Why does CCJ undertake M&E (Purposes and Applications of M&E)? . How does the CCJ conduct M&E exercises and who is responsible for designing and managing M&E within the CCJ). The external evaluator has been involved in facilitating M&E in CCJ since the first M&E was conducted in the organization.
Structure of Dissertation
Attention was paid to inconsistencies between the respondents' views with each other and with those in the literature review and conceptual framework. It identifies common themes emerging from the study's findings in conjunction with a conceptual framework.
Introduction
Public Policy
Social Programmes
Social programs are often used as administrative umbrellas for the distribution of resources within a policy framework (Shadis et al in Owen & Rogers 1999: 35). As such, social programs are not as broad as public policies, but are designed to "meet some recognized social need or solve an identified social problem (Rutman 1984: 11, in Babbie & Mouton 2002: 335).
Civil Society Involvement in Policy and Social programme Implementation
Civil society organizations often have the mission of bringing people together for the benefit of certain members of society. The example of apartheid in South Africa shows that civil society organizations are not always equal to the government.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring
Murphy & Marchant (1988: 1) emphasize the characteristic of monitoring as 'an internal function, and integral part of good management', which helps management to respond to three key questions: (i). Rossi and Freeman describe monitoring as 'a systematic effort by evaluation researchers to examine program coverage and delivery'.
Evaluation
Munce (2005: 6) defines monitoring as a descriptive report of the process of gathering evidence through systematic measurement and observation, regular record keeping or planned qualitative research. They emphasize the relationship between monitoring and evaluation, claiming that monitoring is a type or initial part of evaluation because it is systematic.
Purposes of Monitoring and Evaluation
Commissioning Evaluations – Purposes and Uses
Managers can use evaluation information to make decisions that justify program relevance and demonstrate accountability. They can also guide the use of evaluation results to drive changes in the program.
Types of Evaluation
- Evaluation of Needs/Needs Assessment
- Evaluability Assessment
- Process/Ongoing Evaluation
- Outcome Evaluation
- Impact Evaluation
It measures the final results and effects of the program for the people for whom the program was intended (Weiss 1998: 8). Weiss (1998: 8) notes that writers sometimes use effect to mean the effect of the program on the wider community.
Challenges of Monitoring and Evaluation
It is the evaluator's role to determine how to focus the investigation after examining the information needs of the stakeholders and the purpose of the evaluation. The next section highlights a few common issues and challenges that can negatively impact the evaluation process and affect the quality and use of the results.
Conclusion
There is the question of whether the program is ready for evaluation or not. The duty of the evaluator is to identify different stakeholders, their interest in the program and what they want to know about the program.
Introduction
Background to the Centre for Criminal Justice
The research found that rural women and community members in rural areas generally experienced difficulties in dealing with the criminal justice system (CCJ Document 3 2001 n.p.). CCJ then sought to understand and address the needs of disadvantaged community members who were denied appropriate access to the criminal justice system (CCJ Document 3 2001: n.p.).
The Vision and Mission of the Centre for Criminal Justice
Rural women reported being mistreated when reporting crimes such as domestic violence and rape to the courts or police officials – without sensitivity and privacy (CCJ Document 3 2001 n.p; Griggs Morris & Ehlers 2005: 34). Outreach support centers were established in rural and peri-urban communities to implement this program with a vision and mission aimed at helping community members access the legal system and protect their rights (CCJ Document 3 2001 n.p.).
The Aims and Objectives of the Centre for Criminal Justice
Educate and train members of disadvantaged communities about their rights and access to legal protection and contribute to the teaching of relevant subjects at the Faculty of Law. Develop and maintain connections and cooperation with other institutions, organizations and agencies with similar goals and interests (document CCJ.
The Community Outreach Programme
Monitor the implementation and impact of law, policies and performance of state agencies on disadvantaged communities; Undertake and promote research on the work and experience of the CCJ in its development and field activities in conflict resolution, the advancement of access to justice and the protection of human rights or any other related research, including multidisciplinary research and interdisciplinary; To train, develop and support researchers through consultation and collaboration with established researchers in each relevant discipline and institution;
To realize these goals and objectives, and to ensure the cultivation of a human rights culture at the grassroots level, the CCJ has designed and implemented an outreach program that empowers and protects the rights of victims of violence (CCJ Document 7 2000: vi).
The Target Areas and Beneficiaries of the Outreach Programme
Society The centers are able to deal with problems at family level which otherwise spill over into society. These partners benefit from the research that the organization generates and the capacity building programs that the center offers. The organization is involved in joint training and other activities with the government and other NGOs.
Training Programmes for Outreach Co-ordinators (Implementation Staff)
Next, the coordinators are assessed based on their ability to put the knowledge from this training into practice. Within the programme, coordinators receive three categories of training, namely internal capacity building, capacity building support and external capacity building training. The external capacity building refers to training workshops that coordinators receive when invited by other institutional partners (the police and courts) or network partners (other NGOs involved in providing similar types of services).
This gives the coordinators the ability to empower the rest of the community through the outreach program.
Programme Strategic Activities
The coordinators provide their services in separate prefabricated structures, away from the police or court offices to ensure client privacy (Griggs, Morris & Ehlers 2005: 34). Coordinators also provide educational and outreach activities such as workshops and presentations to community members and local schools and clinics. 2 Education and awareness raising (outreach activities): these are educational workshops and awareness campaigns offered by coordinators in schools or in local communities.
The workshops are designed based on the coordinators' assessment of the specific needs of the target community, based on frequently reported cases or emerging trends in the communities.
Monitoring and Evaluation within the Centre for Criminal Justice
- The Purposes of Monitoring and Evaluation within the Centre for Criminal Justice
- Organizational Monitoring and Evaluation System within the Centre for Criminal Justice 43
- Data Collection Instruments used for Monitoring and Evaluation
- The Uses of Monitoring and Evaluation
Documenting the first four years of a community outreach program – evaluation of the first cycle (three-year period) of the program. Winnie Kubayi An overview of the scheme to establish a community awareness program (a look back at four years of the programme). Impact Study: To find out how the program has affected the lives of the beneficiaries.
Collection and maintenance of data on legal problems in the community provides data used for program monitoring and evaluation.
Conclusion
Once completed, the M&E reports will be useful for capacity building training of coordinators. M&E reports have several purposes, including the financiers' reports and the annual reports that are returned to the coordinators in the form of a booklet, allowing them to reflect on previous cases and clients and assess the validity of the different strategies they have applied. . The information is used to implement organizational changes, refine processes and account for variations across different outreach support centres.
Introduction
Conceptualizations of Monitoring and Evaluation
The findings from this study revealed that all respondents have some awareness that M&E is taking place in CCJ's outreach program. Two of the three outreach program implementation staff interviewed said that they did not know much about M&E because it is an activity domain of the head office, suggesting that they are not involved in the M&E process. It also implies that the M&E system in CCJ is top-down; designed and implemented by management at the top of the hierarchy.
In describing their involvement in the M&E process, the implementation staff emphasize some distinction between monitoring and evaluation within the CCJ.
The Purposes and Uses of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems
- Monitoring and Evaluation to Generate Knowledge
- Monitoring and Evaluation to Make Judgments about the Programme
- Monitoring and Evaluation for Funders and other Accountability
- Monitoring and Evaluation for Institutional Partners
This publication provides evidence to support the use of M&E in CCJ for research purposes by the University of KwaZulu-Natal Faculty of Law. Based on the experience gained from M&E, decisions can be made to determine the focus of the program. These three reasons are related to the management of funds for the implementation of the program.
They also assist the implementation staff in implementing the program because they are criminal justice institutions.
Challenges of the Monitoring and Evaluation Process
- The Design of the Monitoring and Evaluation System
- Programme Monitoring and the Data Gathering Process
- Data collection instruments
- Challenges during Impact Studies
All respondents agreed that the CCJ's M&V system relies mainly on data that coordinators routinely send to the central office. The above response is from an implementation staff member who is closest to the beneficiaries. Furthermore, unlike head office staff, none of the outreach staff acknowledged that the routine data they collect informs the assessment.
Some of the respondents in the field admitted that they send the data to the central office late.
Conclusion
Institutional partners of the CCJ use M&E information to improve their programs and learn lessons. Implementation staff and beneficiaries have a poor idea of what the purposes of M&E are, or of the significance of M&E for the program and for the services they provide or receive in the program. Thus, those involved in the design of the program have a better understanding of M&E, while others who merely contribute to the process have a poor understanding of M&E.
This is one of the biggest issues that M&E poses to the CCJ implementation staff and to the organization as a whole. However, the CCJ's findings show that M&E primarily benefits the program and that funders are only a secondary consideration. This represents one of many other issues identified in the M&E process for the CCJ.
