What is the point of introducing and executing a policy, programme or project in the lifecycle of an organisation if no forethought has been given to how the success, failure or progress of the exercise will be periodically examined? Both private and public sector organisations need to be responsive to the expectations of their internal and external stakeholders to demonstrate that their performance not only yields the desired results in terms of the “bottom line”, but also that those results have integrity, i.e. what was planned is reflected in their processes and in what was eventually achieved. Monitoring and evaluation of policies, programmes and projects examines the key concepts and practices involved in performance tracking and evaluation.

Monitoring and evaluation of policies, programmes and projects has drawn from the diverse experiences and expertise of the authors as well as from practical insights gained from practitioners and teaching students at various training courses (both nationally and internationally). The balance between theory and practice makes it easy to understand and apply in the workplace, for the achievement of improved results. In this second edition, chapters have been expanded and re-focused to address emerging trends, and new chapters have been added to address institutionalising monitoring and evaluation to make it more participatory.

Monitoring and evaluation of policies, programmes and projects remains both a conceptual text and an academic resource for university students (particularly those in management and public administration), as well as a reference work for practitioners and decision-makers in public and private sector organisations.

Isioma Uregu Ile is a professor and acting director of the School of Government at the University of the Western Cape.

Chuks Eresia-Eke is a senior academic in the Department of Business Management and a leading developer/facilitator of management-related short courses at the University of Pretoria.

Charles OK Allen-Ile is a professor and senior academic in the Department of Industrial Psychology of the Economic & Management Sciences Faculty at the University of the Western Cape.