The government of South Africa has, over the past few years, introduced a new, integrated approach to monitoring and evaluation. The system, as implemented, is predicated on a belief that government needs a 'strong centre' to drive the development agenda, and that a coherent structure, with evidence-based reporting at the apex of government, is essential for service delivery across society. This article serves to explore this orientation, with a view to highlighting some of the difficulties embedded in it. The analysis primarily focuses on the extent to which the unfolding system fosters better and more inclusive policy-making. It is postulated that the current strategy of information coherence for generating conclusive reports on implementation progress, for monitoring at the centre of government, comes at the expense of inclusivity and substantive accountability. By engaging with the overall approach, including its structur