Public Sector Relies On Digital Evaluation Tools

A public policy scholar's recent research finds South African government departments increasingly using digital tools—dashboards and mobile data platforms—to monitor programmes, but lacking tailored ethical guidance. The study, based on interviews across government, NGOs, academia, and consultancies, documents risks including surveillance, data reuse without consent, exclusion of marginalised groups, and uncritical reliance on algorithmic outputs. It calls for context-sensitive standards for consent, data ownership, auditability, and evaluator independence.