Factors Affecting The Use Of Information And Communication Technology In Government Parastatals A Case Of National Environment Management Authority

ABSTRACT

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a diverse set of technological

tools and resources used to communicate, create, disseminate, store and manage

information. The use of ICT is undertaken to meet goals and objectives of an

organization so as to bring about beneficial and added value to beneficiaries. This

study therefore sought to establish factors affecting the use of Information and

Communication Technology in government parastatals with a focus on the National

Environment Management Authority (NEMA) offices within Kenya. Specific

objectives that guided this study were; to establish the influence of training on the use

of ICT, assess the effect of funding on the use of ICT and determine the effect of

facilities on the use of ICT. The input variables were categorized into factors for

success and output variable was categorized into organizational and technological

benefit. This study presents literature review of case studies from both developed and

developing countries and preliminary studies grounded in the Kenya e-Government

reality. The key factors were identified and categorized under common broad

categories. This resulted in a rich picture of experience in the use of ICT in

government parastatals. The population for the study was 47 county offices and

NEMA headquarters, Nairobi. The target population was 240 employees of NEMA

offices in Kenya. Sampling design was considered in selecting respondents who

participated in the study. Descriptive survey was used in collecting information by

administering questionnaire. The research used primary sources to collect data,

questionnaires were administered randomly to 120 employees of the authority. A total

number of 104 responded and this constituted 86.6% of the targeted population.

Stratified sampling technique was used to sample the respondents for the study while

simple random sampling technique was used to select employees from 47 country

offices. The study targeted Top Management, Technical and operational staff

members of the Authority. Collected data was analyzed using Statistical Package for

Social Sciences (SPSS), as well descriptive statistics such as correlation analysis,

frequencies, and percentages were used in data analysis. The output was represented

using frequency tables and charts based on the research objectives. The study came

out with findings, summary, conclusion and recommendations. The findings of the

study therefore, established that ICT has not been fully tapped in government

parastatals to enable them realize maximum benefits. However, the study concluded

that the organization management should thoroughly scrutinize an ICT product to

establish its suitability in specific geo-cultural contexts and its effectiveness in

enhancing job performance at a specific workplace. To this end, the study

recommended that there is need to ensure that all workers are trained on how to use

ICT facilities, ICT legislations and regulations should be formulated and integrated in

the organization’s laws and policies to give it a binding and more authoritative touch.