Needs and baseline
Agree what matters for each participating business. Record the starting point, data source, date and any gaps before assessing change.
ESD monitoring & evaluationActivity is not impact.
Activity is not impact.
Show what changed.
Make the link between the business need, the support delivered and the progress observed. Then use the evidence to improve the next decision.
From reporting to decisionsStart with the business.
01 02 03 04 05
Start with the business.
Keep the evidence connected.
Measures and targets
Define relevant indicators, owners and review intervals. Distinguish outputs, business outcomes and claims of causal impact.
Delivery record
Capture the intervention, participation, acceptance, expenditure evidence where relevant and exceptions.
Progress and course correction
Compare like-for-like periods where possible. Record external influences, data quality and the decision to continue, intensify or change support.
Reporting and handover
Provide a business-level record and portfolio view, with traceable source references for sponsor and verification review.
Measure what mattersCommercial outcomes.
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Commercial outcomes.
With the right qualifications.
Select measures that suit the programme. Not every business has the same intervention, starting point or growth target.
Revenue, margin and cash
Define the period, source and relevant comparison. Separate reported numbers from independently checked information.
Jobs and market access
Track headcount consistently and distinguish introductions from contracts, orders and retained trading relationships.
Capability and innovation
Observe application, adoption and work quality. A completed course or new tool is not itself a business outcome.
The first deliverable
An evidence map you can act on.
The Programme Evidence Review maps the current records against your programme requirements, identifies gaps and sets out a prioritised improvement plan.
Indicator and source mapMissing-evidence registerResponsibilities and review rhythmRecommended next intervention
See the review scopeBefore we start
Good questions. Straight answers.
Are these new legal requirements already in force?
The January 2026 documents inspected are drafts issued for public comment. Our source note identifies the proposals and the limits of this review. Confirm current effective requirements and sector-code applicability with your verification professional.
Is every outcome caused by the programme?
No. We distinguish observed change, participant-reported change and causal claims. A before-and-after comparison alone does not isolate the programme’s contribution.
Do you guarantee verification or a B-BBEE level?
No. We support the evidence process and work with the sponsor’s requirements. Formal recognition and assurance remain with the appropriately appointed independent professionals.
Will you retain every record for five years?
Retention is specified in the engagement and data-handling plan against applicable law, contracts and verification requirements. We did not locate a universal five-year ESD evidence-retention mandate in the January draft Statement 400.
Your next moveCan you trace the outcome
Request an M&E reviewCan you trace the outcome
back to the work?
Start with a focused review of the evidence you have and the decisions it needs to support.