In terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 section 114(2) 'a provincial legislature must provide for mechanisms to ensure that all provincial executive organs of state in the province are accountable to it; and to maintain oversight of the exercise of provincial executive authority in the province including the implementation of legislation...' To fulfil this constitutional obligation a provincial legislature appoints members to constitute Parliamentary Standing Committees which perform oversight functions over the activities of public institutions. The purpose of this article is to determine or ascertain the effectiveness of Portfolio Committees in ensuring that departments carry out on their mandate of delivering a better life for all through efficient, effective rendering of services by enhancing service delivery in the Province of the Eastern Cape. The first part of the article examines the role of