Government of South Africa partners with J-PAL Africa to support evidence-based policymaking

On May 27, 2026, J-PAL Africa entered into a formal, five-year partnership with South Africa’s Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) to strengthen the evaluation system across the national government. As the custodian of government planning, monitoring, and evaluation, the DPME plays a critical role in improving service delivery, tracking the implementation of national priorities, and driving the long-term impact of national social policies.

Since its founding at the University of Cape Town in 2011, J-PAL Africa has built impactful policy partnerships across South Africa, collaborating with the Private Office of the President, the Western Cape government, the city of Cape Town, and innovative organisations such as Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator. J-PAL Africa is excited to expand on these efforts through a new partnership with the national government. 

DPME Deputy Minister Seiso Joel Mohai chaired the event alongside DPME Director General  Advocate Melanchton Makobe, marking the launch of this collaboration. In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister Mohai emphasized that the partnership will strengthen the national evaluation system and improve how the government uses evidence in policy decisions, supporting the implementation of South Africa's National Evaluation Policy Framework.

Building on the Deputy Minister's call for improved evidence-based policymaking, J-PAL Africa Executive Director Matthew Edmundson commended the DPME’s commitment to building a more capable, responsive and evidence-driven state, while affirming J-PAL Africa’s enthusiasm for the collaboration.

"What excites us most about this partnership is collaborating with a department that is as excited about the extraordinary value of evaluation as we are,” Edmundson said. “This partnership speaks to all three of J-PAL Africa’s core pillars: generating rigorous evidence through research, putting it to use in policy, and strengthening evaluation capacity. It is rare to find a partner where all three come together, and we are looking forward to getting to work."

The partnership will focus on three key areas:

• Co-generating randomized evaluations: J-PAL Africa and the DPME will co-design randomized evaluations of priority national policies and programs. J-PAL Africa will provide technical expertise on study design, while the DPME will facilitate access to administrative data.
• Integrating evidence into policy: J-PAL Africa and the DPME will synthesise rigorous evidence into formats tailored for South African decision-makers and support the adaptation and contextualization of programs that have succeeded in similar settings.
• Building state capacity: J-PAL Africa and the DPME will co-develop customized evaluation courses specifically for DPME staff and other South African government officials

For more information about this collaboration, read about J-PAL Africa’s South Africa policy partnerships.

Partnership contact, J-PAL Africa: Thokozile Gotter, [email protected]

Media contact, J-PAL Africa: Paul Berthe, [email protected]