Monitoring and Evaluating Service Delivery as a Wicked Problem in South Africa

The South African government is challenged by an increasing number of service delivery protests throughout the country, despite it improving the provision of basic services to the majority of citizens. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to evaluate service delivery as a wicked problem and to propose various approaches to deal with enhancing service delivery, via the documentary analysis approach. The paper established that both service delivery and wicked problems exhibit common characteristics of complexity, uncertainty, conflict and power inequalities amongst stakeholders. Traditional methods of solving service delivery problems, are inadequate in a socially and technologically complex developmental context and the application of networks, innovations and integrated leadership could result in improved service delivery outcomes and impacts. The paper is of value to public sector entities and state departments engaged in service delivery and the oversight of the provision of water, sanitation, electricity and housing.