Success factors for implementing a result-based monitoring and evaluation system in the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), Kampala

Abstract

Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) is among the few governmental institutions with well-established monitoring and evaluation system that is majorly an implementation focused system. In the past years of its operations, there has been wide spread complaints about the little emphasis placed on outcomes and results thus recognizing the significance of outcome and result focused monitoring and evaluation systems. The purpose of this study is to examine the success factors for implementing a Result Based Monitoring and Evaluation in MoES - Uganda. The study was guided by four objectives namely: examine how institutional factors influence implementation of a result based monitoring and evaluation in MoES; find out how organizational capacity influences implementation of a result based monitoring and evaluation in MoES; establish the relationship between organizational resources and implementing a result based monitoring and evaluation in MoES; and establish the relationship between organizational culture and implementation of a result based monitoring and evaluation in MoES. The research design was descriptive and a cross sectional study was carried out by conducting key informants’ interviews on thirty selected staff using purposive sampling. The data employed was collected from both primary and secondary sources using quantitative and/or qualitative methods. Primary data was obtained using the questionnaires and data was measured based on nominal and ordinal measurement levels. The findings from the study show that the Ministry is faced with a number of structural and organizational challenges which could hinder the implementation and sustainability of the Result Based Monitoring and Evaluation system. Some of these challenges include: insufficient organizational resources, gaps in the organizational capacity and lack of a transparent administrative culture that does not encourage accountability for both effective financial and performance management. Basing on the findings, I recommend that top management should be sensitized on the benefits of results based M&E as compared to the traditional M&E; deliberate efforts should be made to recruit and/or train staff; advocacy for increased facilitation of M&E activities to enhance performance; increased stakeholder engagement to ensure ownership of implementations; and ensure transparency and accountability.