Monitoring and Evaluation for equitable and sustainable development in South Africa.
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In the Spotlight
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REGISTRATION FOR THE 9TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE IS NOW OPEN! EARLY BIRD TICKETS AVAILABLE.
This year, our conference will take place at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Gauteng from the 7th to the 11th of October 2024.
This year’s theme, “Vuca-Vuka! Catalysing Change through Monitoring and Evaluation”, will highlight the necessity of proactively responding to our world’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) nature. The uncertainties and volatilities of the last several years call for us to wake up – Siyavuka sisebenzele ikusasa elingcono! Our hope is that the SAMEA Conference will inspire and capacitate participants to implement an adaptive, collaborative and innovative approach to their M&E practice that will help us collectively steer South Africa toward equitable and sustainable development.
We invite you to participate in the 9th Biennial SAMEA Conference!
Early bird cut-off date: 6 September 2024.
This year's conference is structured with 3 days of conferencing from the 7th to the 9th of October, followed by 2 days of post-conference capacity building workshops from the 10th to the 11th of October.
We aim to “unconference” this conference by integrating elements that foster co-creation, peer-to-peer learning, and community-building. To enrich the conference with an indigenous African heartbeat, the conference will also be infused with the art of storytelling as critical knowledge sharing.
The conference will feature a mix of presentation formats, including:
– Oral presentations
– Panel discussions
– World Café sessions
– Poster presentations
– Lightning talks
The post-conference capacity building workshops offer a wide range of topics on M&E methods, tools and techniques.
Learn more about conference and workshop ticket prices, sponsorship opportunities and more on the CONFERENCE WEBSITE.
Dear SAMEA Community,
Conference year is upon us and it looks like we are going to have one for the books! Have you blocked off the 7th-11th of October yet? Save our date!
This year’s conference theme is VUCA-VUKA! Catalysing change through monitoring and evaluation. We dare to respond to this volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous nature of the current times by rising up (siyavuka) and taking collective action towards sustainable and equitable development and transformation in South Africa. Our values of sharing knowledge, innovating, adapting strategically, collaborating and empowering - have never been more pertinent.
To celebrate the richness of African culture while promoting academic excellence and collaboration, the conference will embrace storytelling and prioritise principles of co-creation, inclusivity, and mutual respect, to pave the way for a more vibrant and impactful monitoring and evaluation community. We want to hear your stories and learnings on the opportunities and challenges of working in a VUCA world. We hope you can carve out the time to step back, reflect, reconnect, and revive your practice and passion for the important work we do.
You can learn more about the conference themes and submit an abstract here: https://sameaconf.co.za/ If any of the planned themes resonate with you or your organisation and you’d like to support, reach out to [email protected] to hear how you can get involved, and don’t forget to share our conference posts widely.
Over the past month, in addition to conference planning, the SAMEA board and secretariat have been hard at work updating the strategic priority areas, building partnerships, kicking off Communities of Practice, revamping the SAMEA website, onboarding new Young Emerging Evaluators, as well as hiring a new Knowledge and Communications Manager!
If you’d like to get more involved with different learning communities, visit our website to learn more about the Communities of Practice (CoP) and Topical Interest Groups (TIG). You’ll find the relevant contacts who can provide more information. We invite you to get plugged in, network and build together!
I would be amiss not to mention that this association would not be what it is without the numerous volunteers who dedicate time and expertise to growing this community. Thank you to all the CoP and TIG leads and members, the capacity builders, and the board members, for your continued support. I am also reaching out to extend an invitation to members of the community with a paid subscription to participate in our upcoming board elections for 4 open seats. The board elections present an opportunity for you to contribute to the strategic decision-making process, advocate for important issues, and collaborate with fellow board members to drive positive change within our organisation and community. More details can be found in the following pages.
Last and by no means least, a hearty congratulations to our partners at the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) on reaching their second year anniversary! Your embracing collaboration and diversity is setting the tone for other communities of practitioners, and we look forward to more collective endeavours!
In service,
Mutsa Chinyamakobvu
Deputy Chair | SAMEA
Exercise your right as an active SAMEA member by nominating and voting for four new Board Members this year. For more information about the voting process, see the 2024 voting process HERE.
See below some important dates to note:
Elections are open to SAMEA members only however if you wish to participate, register online and become a member today.
