AN ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION FUNCTIONS ON PROJECTS PERFORMANCE AMONG SELECTED CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT FUND PROJECTS IN KIRINYAGA COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The study did an analysis of the influence of monitoring and evaluation functions on projects performance among selected constituency development fund projects in Kirinyaga County, Kenya.
Research methodology: The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The targeted population was 180 respondents consisting of two monitoring and evaluation sub-committee members, the chairperson, treasurer, secretary and one community representative. A sample of 55 respondents was drawn to participate in the study. The sample of the research was selected using stratified random sampling technique.
Findings: The results of the study showed that a big bulk of the participants understood what monitoring and evaluation means which could be attributed to respondents having tertiary level of education. Over fifty percent of the respondents said that E monitoring and evaluation frameworks influenced the performance to a large and very large extent respectively which was informed by the fact that most projects had adopted M&E frameworks guidelines. Additionally, different projects have adopted M&E implementation strategies in the last five years implying that getting the right strategies in M&E was also found to influence the performance of CDF projects.
Conclusions: M&E results were found to be useful in determining the success of future projects. It was agreed by nearly two thirds of the participants that M&E results have a high influence on performance of the projects as the results can be used to correct and streamline areas of projects implementation where there are gaps, flaws and other inconsistencies. Stakeholder and political environments were found to affect efficacy of M&E and subsequent performance of the CDF projects.
Recommendations: The study recommended that more training to be done for PMC members to understand what monitoring and evaluation is. Authorities to be ready and willing to utilize the M&E results, use of multi-method approach and involve more stakeholders in the monitoring and evaluation processes.
Keywords: Monitoring and evaluation, projects performance, CDF projects, Kirinyaga County, Kenya.
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