The Higher Education Act, No. 101 of 1997 (reference: Higher Education Act 101 of 1997) sets out the roles and responsibilities of the Council on Higher Education (CHE).

One of these statutorily-assigned responsibilities is to monitor the achievement of higher education policy goals, and the state of the higher education system.

The CHE carries out these responsibilities through its Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate and its Monitoring and Evaluation Standing Committee.