Influence Of Monitoring And Evaluation On The Performance Of Constituency Development Funded Projects In Kuria West Constituency, Kenya

ABSTRACT

The failure to achieve development in Kenya and in most African countries is caused by escalating poverty, unemployment and inequality. In Kenya the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was established for undertaking projects that are aimed at tackling these challenges. The hope was that it would enhance peoples’ participation and power in decision-making processes; promote good governance, transparency and accountability. However, despite many CDF projects having been initiated so as to transform the living standards of the constituents little had been achieved due to the poor performance of the CDF projects. It was thus important that the variables that influence the performance of CDF projects be identified and scrutinized so as to attain the expected developments. This study sought to investigate the influence of M & E on the performance of CDF projects in Kuria West constituency. To achieve this, the objectives of the study were to scrutinize how stakeholders’ participation in M & E, technical capacity on M & E, budgetary allocation for M & E, and staff training influence the performance of CDF projects in Kuria West Constituency. This study employed descriptive survey research design. The scope of the study was the CDF projects completed between the year 2013 and 2017 and within Kuria West Constituency. The target population consisted of the 156 CDF projects which were composed of completed projects only. Stratified random sampling was employed. A sample of sampled 47 projects was considered and this formed 30% of the target population. The respondents consisted of the project managers of those completed projects, Members of County Assembly (MCAs) and one person selected randomly from the personnel running the completed projects. Questionnaires were used as instruments of data collection. The collected data was edited, coded, classified and then entered and analyzed using a computer Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 21-software program. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test for internal reliability of each variable used in the study. Data analysis was undertaken using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. Descriptive statistics was utilized where percentages, mean and standard deviation were used to help summarize the variables. Correlation analysis was used to establish the strength of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. A multiple regression model was then fitted to determine the influence of the independent variables on the performance of the CDF projects in Kuria west Constituency. The study concluded that M & E influenced the performance of CDF projects. The study recommends that CDFC should increase the level of stakeholder engagement in M & E of projects so as to gauge progress and enhance accountability to promote CDF projects performance. Technical capacity of M & E committee members should be improved through hiring people with the correct technical skills in order to enhance project performance by delivering projects that meet the desired specifications. The study established that the budgetary allocation for M & E is not sufficient. The study thus provides the basis for the government to consider increasing the budgetary allocation for M & E in order to promote projects performance. The CDF project management committees should emphasize on staff training so as to advance the performance of projects. The study established that up to 76.3% of performance of CDF projects is explained by M & E. The research suggests further research on other variables that may be responsible for the performance of CDF projects that have not been explained by this research. Further research should consider inclusion of more variables like moderating and/or intervening variables such as political environment to gain a further understanding on the influencers of project performance.