Community participation in monitoring and evaluating social services in The AIDS Surport Organisation (TASO), Kampala

Abstract

Keith, Nanyonjo, Byamugisha and Baine (2007) in their publication “Macroeconomic impact of HIV/AIDS” introduced The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) as the first largest home-grown NGO providing HIV/AIDS services in Uganda. The founders were either directly infected or indirectly affected by HIV/AIDS. TASO provides services in counseling, medical care, provision of drugs including ARV, home-based care, outreach programme, day-care centers, material assistance, child support and training for non-school-going children. The study set out to examine the experience, application and adoption of participatory monitoring and evaluation by TASO Mulago branch in Kampala. Its specific objectives included examining TASO’s knowledge, perception and challenges of adapting PM&E, exploring how TASO was involving the community, examining the resources of the community to conduct and contribute to M&E exercise and documenting TASO’s experience on PM&E. The research adopted an exploratory study design and it largely applied the qualitative research method to collect data. It used in-depth interviews and reviewed relevant documents as data collection techniques. Among other things, the study found out that the application of PM& E by TASO Mulago branch did not have institutional recognition but was exercised as an integral part in the routine process of TASO’s implementation of programme. The study recommends for staff training, development of PM&E reference materials, educating clients about their role on PM&E and official recognition of TASO’s practice on PM&E as possible strategies to address knowledge and practical limitations of TASO in its effort to practice PM&E.