ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

5 OCTOBER 2023

TIME: 16:00 TO 17:30

MODALITY: ONLINE (ZOOM)

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REVIEW & ADOPTION OF 2022 AGM MINUTES

�REVIEW & ADOPTION OF THE 2023 AGM AGENDA

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CHAIRPERSON REPORT & BOARD FEEDBACK

WHAT MAKES SAMEA A STRONG ORGANISATION?�

VISION & MISSION

SAMEA’s vision & mission serves as a guiding compass for decision-making and goal setting.

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Vision: Monitoring and Evaluation contribute to equitable and sustainable development in South Africa and more widely.

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Mission: SAMEA cultivates a vibrant community that supports, guides and strengthens monitoring and evaluation as an important discipline and instrument for equitable and sustainable development.

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Strong Board:

• A balanced board composition in line with KING IV
• Ensure that board members are engaged, knowledgeable, and aligned with the organization's mission
• Maintain added roles of Deputy Operations and Deputy Treasurer for continuity

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Talented and Committed Secretariat:

• Recruit and retain a skilled Secretariat
• Develop Secretariat by providing opportunities for growth
• Create a positive and inclusive work environment

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Strategic Planning:

• Conduct in-person strategic planning session
• Develop annual workplans
• Conduct mid-term reviews and reflections as an assessment process

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Adaptability and Resilience:

• Build an organization that can adapt to change and withstand challenges
• Develop contingency plans and risk management strategies for annual workplans

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Financial Management:

• Implement sound financial management practices and process to ensure the organization's fiscal health
• Monitor budgets and control expenditure

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Effective Communication (internally and externally):

• Foster open and transparent communication
• Ensure that all stakeholders are informed and engaged in the organization's activities.

WHAT MAKES SAMEA A SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION? �

Financial Viability:

• Manages its finances effectively and maintains a stable financial position
• Generates enough revenue to cover expenses and invests in future growth

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Diversified Revenue Streams: Diversifying revenue streams, which may include grants, donations, and earned income

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Ethical Practices: The organization operates ethically and transparently, adhering to a strong code of conduct and values that guide decision-making and behaviour

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Community Engagement: Engage with and support the local community, fostering positive relationships and contributing to social well-being

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Diversity and Inclusion: Promote diversity and inclusion within the organization, recognizing the value of different perspectives and backgrounds

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Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with all stakeholders to understand their expectations and concerns and incorporate their input into decision-making

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Quality Services: Deliver high-quality products or services that meet or exceed stakeholder expectations. Continuously seek ways to improve and innovate

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ACHIEVEMENTS

WHO MAKES SAMEA A STRONG AND SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION?

CURRENT BOARD AND SECRETARIAT

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Marla Naidoo - SAMEA Coordinator

Sivenati Yami - SAMEA Administrator

Stephan Paulsen - EE Coordinator

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AND YOU – SAMEA MEMBERS

FEEDBACK TOPICS – ORGANISATIONAL AREAS

FEEDBACK TOPICS – THEMATIC AREAS

ORGANISATIONAL AREAS

BUILDING A STRONGER ORGANISATION

�GOVERNANCE & STRATEGY

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OPERATIONS

Anticipated outcomes

• Medium term: SAMEA is an adaptive, thriving and growing organisation.
• Short term: SAMEA operates efficiently, sustainably and effectively.

Achievements

• Strengthened Secretariat

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• Policy development (recruitment)
• Strengthened organisational systems

Work in progress

• See above

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MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNICATIONS

MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNICATIONS cont’d

Facebook Analytics

Twitter ‘X’ Analytics

Twitter “X” Analytics

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS

RESEARCH, KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION,

CONTENT CREATION

Continuing the work that started in the Hackathon. 

• December 2022 workshop to strengthen the capacity for systematic analysis in South Africa – 20 SAMEA EEs participated in the workshop
• DPME is moving forward with the development of the evaluation evidence map. Evidence maps show where evidence is available, and help to identify evidence gaps. Raise awareness, interest and potential use of available studies, and identify priorities to address information gaps
• The systematic review and information provided by government department and other evaluation stakeholders have rendered 11 000 academic studies and 1337 pieces of grey literature. 
• Three SAMEA EE’s who attended the capacity building workshop are contracted to support the extraction process, with support from UNICEF. 
• The EEs are delivering well and have mapped 350 of the grey literature studies to date. EEs will continue to support the work in October and November.

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THEMATIC AREAS

M&E TO SUPPORT A JUST TRANSITION TO CLIMATE AND ECOSYSTEMS HEALTH

M&E TO SUPPORT A JUST TRANSITION TO CLIMATE AND ECOSYSTEMS HEALTH cont’d

M&E FOR CONTINUOUS ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT, ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES

Overarching: M&E practices integrated into implementation as part of adaptive management.

Medium term:

• Rapid Evaluation (RE) undertaken more widely in SA, using a hybrid/ facilitated model.
• Virtual Evaluation (VE) being utilised appropriately and effectively in SA.
• VE guideline is influencing practice.
• Trainees apply acquired knowledge and skills in their jobs
• Learning and responsive adaptive management approaches being applied in SA, infused into all stages of programme diagnosis, design, implementation.

Short term:

• Trainees have greater capacity to undertake RE/VE
• SAMEA has identified and documented an approach to adaptive management and the contribution of M&E

to adaptive management in SA, and a plan on how to take this forward

M&E FOR CONTINUOUS ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT: �RAPID EVALUATION

Achievements

• Finalising 3x rapid evaluations
• Supporting Mpumalanga Office of the Premier with recruitment of rapid evaluation facilitators.
• Rapid evaluation training 21-23 August & 26 October 2023.

Work in progress

• Rapid evaluation lessons learned documented in an article for eVALUation matters

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M&E FOR CONTINUOUS ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT: �VIRTUAL EVALUATION, �M&E FOR LEARNING & ADAPTIVE MANAGEMEN

Work in progress

• Rapid evaluation guideline finalisation.
• Virtual evaluation training 30/31 October 2023.
• Planning for an event to conceptualise an approach towards adaptive management. �

MADE IN AFRICA EVALUATION�

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ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Launch of the African Evaluation Blog (incorporated into the SAMEA website under Engage tab)
• Hackathon outputs, Case studies of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) incorporated into the book chapter, book edited by CLEAR-AA

WORK IN PROGRESS:

• Writing a call for blogs related to Made in Africa and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
• Quality assurance mechanisms for blogs to be deposited on the African Evaluation Blog

CHALLENGES:

• Time constraints
• Funding to attract scholars to write blogs for Made In Africa as a form of awareness raising and the value for context and domestication of methods and theories in African context

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INVESTING IN IMPACT

• Formed a partnership with Impact Investing South Africa
• Identifying opportunities for collaboration
• Identifying opportunities for capacity building
• Identifying opportunity for developing sector guides
• Has hosted its first CoP in June
• In the process of planning a CoP for November (TBC)

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MERL TECH - DATA AND TECHNOLOGY

• Has hosted three CoPs this year
• Has formed partnerships with MERL Tech and European Evaluation Association
• Has developed a Slack Channel and WhatsApp group for members to participate in
• Has participated in a Podcast focusing Data Storytelling with the EES in March
• Will be hosting a workshop on 24 October (full day event) as part of the capacity building series
• Is in the process of running a competition for SAMEA members details to be confirmed

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M&E CAPACITY BUILDING AND EEs, INCLUDING COMPETENCIES AND PROFESSIONALISATION

TREASURER’S REPORT

Financial review for year ending 28 February 2023

• SAMEA had a healthy bank balance of R3.4 million in FY2023, which is significantly higher than FY2022 (R2.6 million) due to diversified income from the conference and workshops, grants funding, membership fees and sponsorship income.
• Even though this year provided conference income, SAMEA has prioritised diversifying income sources as a means of improving financial sustainability. This has continued to be a focus as we move into the 2024 FY.
• Treasury Management Guidelines continue to be followed, including working alongside the Secretariat, developing key financial management policies and setting up a small working group for Governance, Operations and Financial Management.
• BVSA continued to serve as the SAMEA bookkeepers and prepares the financial statements for audit purposes
• BVA Inc. are the SAMEA auditors, which is part of the same group of companies as BVSA, but not the same company

Financial review for year ending 28 February 2023�Cash and cash equivalents

SAMEA continued to have a healthy bank balance. FY2023 saw us continue to maintain an above target amount and diversify sources of funding.

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This allows SAMEA to pursue strategic imperatives such as maintaining the EE programme, stabilising the Secretariat and pursuing varied ways to engage members (including a regional round robin).

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All of these efforts enable value creation for SAMEA’s membership base and enable key pathways in SAMEA’s theory of change.

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Financial review for year ending 28 February 2023�Retained income

SAMEA has retained income above the original target of R1 million.

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It should be noted, however, that the Secretariat staff have been retained at full time capacity which is critical to deliver services and for board sustainability. This has been identified as critical for SAMEA’s organisational sustainability.

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Given this increase in staff costs, SAMEA will continue to prioritise increasing its retained income to enable the usual two-year runaway

Financial review for year ending 28 February 2023�Trade and other receivables

We have consistently done well with collections of conference and workshop proceeds by the end of the subsequent financial year.

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The remaining receivables are in keeping with previous conference years

Financial review for year ending 28 February 2023�Income

SAMEA has experienced the largest growth in grants funding, amounting to R2,4 million. This has helped to increase and sustain Secretariat capacity, and decreased reliance on conference and workshop income.

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Membership fees has also continued to grow year on year. Member tracking and engagement will be a focus for the current financial year.

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Looking ahead…

• Funding priorities:
• Conference income: managing expenses, attracting sponsorship income and collecting on conference fees
• Membership: tracking current members, continuing to grow institutional members including through differentiated institutional membership options
• Grant funding: Maintain good standing with current funders, continue to explore new funding opportunities
• Financial management:
• Adherence to new financial policies
• Expense management
• Risk management

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Review and approval of FY2023 AFS

2023 SAMEA Board Elections

2023 BOARD ELECTIONS

2023 Elections Committee: Ruth Mojalefa, Babette Rabie, Jen Norins, Eleanor Hazell and Nana Davies

The 2023 elections results are as follows:

• Number of nominations: 40
• Number members nominated: 33
• Number of nominations accepted: 21 (including 10 confirmed)
• Number of nominations confirmed: 10
• Number of voters: 130
• Number of votes cast: 399

The SAMEA elections were conducted online and was managed by an external IT management company, Development IT Solutions

Only members with an active paid up membership could participate in the elections

Nominations took place from 1 June - 31 August 2023

The formal voting process took place from 18 - 29 September 2023

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INCOMING BOARD MEMBERS

Jeffrey Tshisevhe

Khumo Pule

Sinenhlanhla Tsekiso

Zulaikha Brey

Anniza De Wet

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Mutsa Chinyamakobvu

THANK YOU TO THE OUTGOING BOARD MEMBERS

To the outgoing BMs - thank you for your service to SAMEA. I've enjoyed collaborating with you all and appreciate the guidance you've provided as I settled into the Treasurer role. Wishing you all the best, and looking forward to continued collaborations in many different spaces. Best wishes.

- Mishkah

Thank you for your bright comments, Takunda; your strategic knowledge and guidance, Ian; your emphatic leadership, Tikwiza; your thoroughness in selecting staff, Eleanor; your integrity and quirkiness, Babette. I have enjoyed working with you and you will be missed.

- Nana

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“It is painful to lose you. However, all the best.”

- Ruth

“I wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your dedicated service. Your insights, wisdom, and tireless efforts have helped shape the direction of our organization and made a positive impact on the lives of those we serve. Your legacy within SAMEA will continue to inspire us and guide our efforts.”

- Molupe

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“I am so glad that I joined the SAMEA board when I did last year and was able to collaborate with and learn from you in this past year. You have been a great asset to SAMEA. We look forward to the new way we can learn and engage with you going forward. Be well”

- Jen

Thank you for offering your time, skills and leadership and so much more during your 3-year tenure. I wish to adopt some of those skills in strengthening my work and self. You all leave a fantastic legacy for SAMEA to move forward!

- Marla

“Thank you all for the contributions you have made to SAMEA. I am both honoured and privileged to say that I have worked with you all. I hope this isn’t goodbye but a ‘see you soon’.”

- Sive

“Thank you for your dedication and service to the Monitoring and Evaluation community in South Africa and beyond. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours”

- Stephan

“To the outgoing board, thank you for your hard work, foresight, and strategic guidance. You have contributed significantly to increasing the value that SAMEA offers to its members. You have also left behind systems and processes that enable the current board to build upon in future. I wish you every success in your future endeavours and forever grateful for the mark you have left”

- Asgar

CLOSING REMARKS

END