Donna Rae Podems, Dr, OtherWISE: Research and Evaluation
Dr Podems has conducted evaluations, developed M&E systems, and trained on M&E for the government, nonprofits, and the private sector. As a generalist, her evaluation practice ranges from working in environment, human rights, education, HIV/AIDS, and other social intervention areas prominent in SA. Dr Podems holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies (Evaluation and Organizational Development) from the Union Institute and University, Ohio, USA.
Fanie Cloete, Professor, Director: School of Public Management, Stellenbosch University
Professor Cloete has been involved in developing the M&E capacity and training of a number of public sector agencies over the last few years including, UCT Business School, his own School of Public Management & Planning, the Water Research Commission, the Department of Social Development, Tshwane and other Municipalities and the National Framework for Sustainable Development. Professor Cloete holds a D Phil degree in Political Science from the University of Stellenbosch.
Octavia Khabelani Mkhabela, Dr, Unleash Potential Unlimited
Through her national and international M&E experience, Dr Mkhabela has developed a keen interest in conducting evaluation studies. Her academic background in the field of M&E has been further strengthened by her internship at Educational testing Services in Princeton, New Jersey. Dr Mkhabela holds a PhD in Psychology from Howard University, USA.
Dr Sefiso Khumalo has recognisable experience in Public Service Monitoring and Evaluation System (PSMES). Dr Khumalo holds a doctorate in education from Tshwane University of Technology. He works for the Public Service Commission (PSC) in the Monitoring and Evaluation Branch. In January 2007, Dr Khumalo attended the 4th Monitoring and Evaluation Conference of the African Evaluation Association in Niamey, Niger as part of the PSC’s delegation.
Previously he has worked in the Evaluation and Analysis unit of the Gauteng Department of Education. In 2000 and 2001, while serving as a deputy principal of a high school in the North West Province, he was seconded to the provincial Whole-school Evaluation Supervisory Unit where he was involved in piloting Whole-school Evaluation. Dr Khumalo is also one of the National Research Foundation recipients of the doctoral fellowship program which enabled him to study for three months at the University of Wisconsin, Madison United State of America.
Mark Abrahams, Dr, Chairperson - Email: chairperson@samea.org.za
Mark Abrahams is currently a senior lecturer in the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) at UCT. He previously was the Regional Director of the Centre for Community Development of Vista University. It was here that his research interests and passion for rural development, complex community empowerment initiatives and post graduate curriculum research developed. Mark has engaged in and completed several micro- project level evaluations as well as large scale multi-site evaluations. His current research interest is the 'nature, shape, condition, form' of the current South African Evaluation community. He is of the opinion that insight into this community will contribute to the development and structuring of a dynamic and responsive association and hence the growth of Monitoring and Evaluation in the country.
Benita van Wyk - Treasurer - Email:
Benita van Wyk is a founding partner of Feedback Performance Metrics, a consultancy providing research and data analysis services particularly with regards to sustainable development and the evaluation of development programmes. Ms. Van Wyk is responsible for the design, implementation & management of projects related to monitoring and evaluation and sustainability reporting and has conducted evaluations in a variety of different sectors. Ms. van Wyk has academic training in the field of Research Psychology (University of Pretoria).
Kevin Kelly - Training - Email:
Kevin Kelly is a Director of CADRE, a South African NPO which specializes in monitoring and evaluation in the HIV/AIDS field. He is also Managing Editor of African Journal of AIDS Research. He and the CADRE team develop M&E protocols and conduct evaluations for HIV/AIDS programmes in South Africa and other countries in the region. They also conduct training programmes for M&E in the HIV/AIDS field. He has experience in evaluation of programmes, inter alia, in the following fields: mass media and communication, youth development, behaviour change, theatre in development, community development, leadership and management training, health systems, education in schools and tertiary institutions, social impact analysis, partnership programmes, decentralisation programmes and school development programmes.
He is currently involved in researching the systems effects of large scale AIDS funding and civil society access to AIDS funding in six African countries. He has published a number of articles and book chapters on programme evaluation methodology and has a strong interest in the utilization of monitoring and evaluation in programme management and development. His research interests and projects include the role of M&E in HIV/AIDS programme development and integration at the local level.
Mr. Indran Naidoo has a background in development studies, having completed an M.A. in rural development at West Virginia University , USA . He also holds certificates in education from Oxford and participated in the Senior Executive Programme between Wits and Harvard. He was awarded several academic scholarships, and is an Abe Bailey Fellow.
He was responsible for setting up the first M&E Directorate in the South African government at the National Department of Land Affairs in 1995. He is currently Chief Director: Governance Monitoring at the Public Service Commission, the oversight body of the SA Government. His responsibilities include implementing the Public Service M&E System at the national and provincial level. Mr Naidoo has had wide exposure to the international terrain in development studies and M&E, and has presented papers at several international conferences. He has supported the work that led to the formation of the African Evaluation Association from 1999. In 2004, he was co-Chair for the successful African Evaluation Conference, which was co-hosted between the Public Service Commission and the African Evaluation Association. He is a member of the M&E Task team, responsible for the implementation of the Government-wide M&E System.
Marlene Roefs embodies Social Dimensions, which is specialised in evaluation research. Besides providing assistance to the M&E Directorate in the Department of Land Affairs, she is conducting a process evaluation of WFP sponsored FIVIMS in South Africa, involved in the Lesohto Highlands socio-economic impact study of the dams, the World Bank service delivery Citizen Report Card study, and other evaluation research projects. She has a passion for local governance development and participatory survey research. Supported by the Human Sciences Research Council, UNDP and the University of the Free State she introduced a Community-Based Information System in Kopanong municipality.
Marlene received her PhD in Social Psychology (Free University, Amsterdam), which was awarded as the best thesis related to political science 2003/2004 by the Dutch Political Science Association.
Angela Bester - Membership - Email:
Angela Bester is a Director of Deloitte Consulting and leads the Southern Africa practice in the area of Government Performance, which focuses on monitoring, evaluation and review of government strategies, policies and programmes. Prior to joining the private sector, Angela held senior positions in the South African Public Service as well as in the NSW (Australia) Public Service. In these public services Angela accumulated a wealth of experience in public sector management, civil service reform and the broad spectrum of development issues (HIV & AIDS, social development, governance, land reform and criminal justice). Angela also held leadership positions in the Forum of South African Directors-General (FOSAD), serving as a member of the Management Committee and Chairperson of the Social Sector Cluster. She represented the cluster on the President's Working Group with National Religious Leaders. Angela also spent 3 years as Governance Adviser in the UK Department for International Development (DFID- Southern Africa), where she was responsible for leading the governance portfolio for South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana (SADC headquarters).