Background: Evaluation is not widespread in Africa, particularly evaluations instigated by governments rather than donors. However since 2007 an important policy experiment is emerging in South Africa, Benin and Uganda, which have all implemented national evaluation systems. These three countries, along with the Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEAR) Anglophone Africa and the African Development Bank, are partners in a pioneering African partnership called Twende Mbele, funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and Hewlett Foundation, aiming to jointly strengthen monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems and work with other countries to develop M&E capacity and share experiences.Objectives: This article documents the experience of these three countries and summarises the progress made in deepening and widening their national evaluation systems and some of the cross-cutting lessons emerging at an early stage of the Twende Mbele partnership.Method: The article draws from reports from each of the countries, as well as work undertaken for the evaluation of the South African national evaluation system.Results and conclusions: Initial lessons include the importance of a central unit to drive the evaluation system, developing a national evaluation policy, prioritising evaluations through an evaluation agenda or plan and taking evaluation to subnational levels. The countries are exploring the role of non-state actors, and there are increasing moves to involve Parliament. Key challenges include difficulty of getting a learning approach in government, capacity issues and ensuring follow-up. These lessons are being used to support other countries seeking to establish national evaluation systems, such as Ghana, Kenya and Niger.

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Performance measurement has increasingly become central to the efficiency and effectiveness of any government – developed or developing. The introduction of public sector reforms, which transferred most service delivery obligations to the private sector under the New Public Management (NPM) doctrines, demanded a strong performance measurement framework. Sequel to continual government's role in public service delivery in the last decade coming under attack, a revival interest in the exact role of government in public services delivery has thus become imperative. Evaluating performance of different sectors of government is paramount and provides useful information for effective decision-making. This article presents empirical findings of the Government Half Annual Performance Report for the security, justice and governance cluster. The objective is to highlight areas where progress has been made against the set targets and actions and where delays have been occasioned within the context of Uganda. These findings however are useful in guiding different actors including Cabinet and line Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Local governments in ensuring that agreed targets are met at the end of the Financial Year.

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