Dez Jason is a Senior Manager at the National Department of Social Development responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of policies and programmes. She holds a Master’s degree, from the University of Pretoria and a Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring & Evaluation from Stellenbosch University. She served as a board member on the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA).  Over the years, Dez has acquired numerous skills in monitoring and evaluation, policy development, programme design and management, managing gender empowerment programmes, performance and risk management, strategic planning, designing and implementing business processes, stakeholder management, human resource management and developing capacity-building interventions. Dez also manages the implementation of a digital transformation project on linking social protection administrative data systems across government to improve services to poor and vulnerable citizens. She is an avid reader, a social justice activist and extremely passionate to work on initiatives aimed at improving the lives of our most marginalised and vulnerable members of society “leave no-one behind”.