Dr Lesedi Senamele Matlala is a Public Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) specialist and a Lecturer in the School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy at the University of Johannesburg. His research interests include public sector governance, evaluation systems, digital governance, and citizen-based monitoring, with a particular focus on the South African and broader African context.
He teaches and supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate students in areas related to public policy, monitoring and evaluation, evaluation methodologies, and digital governance. His teaching approach emphasises applied learning, critical engagement with policy practice, and the use of evidence to inform decision-making in the public sector.
Prior to entering academia, Dr Matlala accumulated over eight years of professional experience as a consultant, working with government departments, non-governmental organisations, private sector entities, and development agencies. His work has included programme evaluations, policy research, governance assessments, and capacity development initiatives.
Dr Matlala is actively engaged in national and international scholarly and professional networks. He is a member of the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA), the European Evaluation Society (EES), the American Evaluation Association (AEA), the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES), and the Africa Evidence Network (AEN). In the field of public administration, he holds membership in the Association of Southern African Schools and Departments of Public Administration and Management (ASSADPAM) and the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM).
Beyond academia, Dr Matlala is deeply committed to youth development, mentorship, and professional capacity building. He serves as a mentor within the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), the SAMEA Emerging Evaluators Programme, the EvalYouth Global Network, and the Young and Emerging Evaluators (YEE) community. He is also a Board Member of AccessEd, an international widening participation organisation focused on improving access to higher education through research-based curricula and academic mentorship.
He currently serves as the Chairperson of the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA), where he provides strategic leadership in advancing the professionalisation of evaluation, strengthening evaluation systems, and promoting evidence-informed governance in South Africa.
My contributions
Why evaluation must professionalise and move fast on sustainability reporting or lose the space