It is a great honor to be serving South Africa's M&E community and contributing to the advancement of knowledge and practice in this sector, particularly how M&E practice and evidence can promote equitable and regenerative development.

Within the realm of development and organisational governance, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) acts as a compass; informing stakeholders about where they currently stand in relation to their objectives and where they are headed. It is a privilege to serve in an organisation at the helm of this important work in our region.

I believe very strongly that the evaluation profession requires committed volunteers who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work, if it is to continue to grow from strength to strength. So, the major contribution I intend to bring to SAMEA is being fully committed to its goals and objectives and working hard and smart to see these to fruition.

It is a privilege to serve alongside a team of passionate professionals and experts, promoting monitoring and evaluation as an important discipline for equitable and sustainable development in South Africa.

SAMEA is a platform to drive discourse between the demand and supply side of M&E, advocating for the adoption of M&E in all development focused efforts (across government, donors, the private sector and NPOs), and to drive the professionalisation and growth of M&E. As a board member, I am committed to helping SAMEA continue these efforts, while also expanding the focus to newer and more niche areas which can help grow and transform the sector.

SAMEA is an association aiming to strengthen and capacitate South Africa about the importance of improving the performance of interventions and initiatives. To be a SAMEA board member means to work as a team to ensure that SAMEA intended outcomes are realised.

As a SAMEA board member, my involvement has offered me a unique opportunity to contribute modestly but meaningfully to the institutionalisation of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) practices within the Local Government (LG) sphere. Alongside this contribution, I`ve gained valuable insights from colleagues directly engaged in LG, where service delivery occurs at the coal-face. I am optimistic that the integration of M&E practices in the LG sphere will pave the way for enhanced outcomes benefiting our communities and nation as a whole.

I am committed to strengthening the capacities of our M&E communities and in particular our Emerging Evaluators.

SAMEA should be able to champion the use of evidence-based practice in decision-making, planning, programming, and policy- making to enable development interventions to achieve their intended objectives.

M&E signifies more than just a process; they represent a powerful tool for driving African progress. I am deeply committed to empowering this progress by strengthening evaluation systems and enabling informed decisions across the continent. I firmly believe that the use of credible M&E evidence is not only essential but also transformative, positioning Africa for success. Through my participation as a SAMEA Board member, I strive to harness the potential of monitoring and evaluation to drive positive change and contribute to a brighter future for Africa.

I am driven by the notion that evaluations have a huge potential to identify policy issues and practical solutions to improve development outcomes. As a board member, I look forward to contributing to the M&E for Just Transition.