Staff Development and Social Service Delivery in Galkacyo North District in Puntland Somalia

ABSTRACT 

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of Staff Development on Local Government delivery of social services in Galkacyo North District in Puntland Somalia. The social services of study included primary health care (medical), primary education service, water and sanitation and road infrastructural services. For this purpose, the study sought to i) assess the level of staff development among civil servants, ii) examine the quality of social service delivery and iii) determine the relationship between the level of that staff development and quality of social service delivery in the district. The study adopted a descriptive correlational research design based on the quantitative and qualitative approach. Given this approach, quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection and analysis. Data was collected using the questionnaire and interview guides from a sample of 395 people representing a study population of 456. The computer statistical package for social scientists (SPSS) was sought to develop frequency and percentage tables for descriptive statistical data analysis. Qualitative data including mainly interview responses were analysed using the content and interpretive analysis. The study findings indicated that there was less consistency in the use of on job staff competency development opportunities in Galkacyo North District, namely, special assignments, delegation of work, guidance and counselling, useful reading materials, performance evaluation and feedback. Regarding refresher training activities, the findings showed it was complicated for some relevant departments in the district to arrange for civil servants enough of such training activities as workshops, seminars, conferences, service delivery exhibition and education visits. In the case of collegial training, many civil servants hardly sponsored themselves for such external training. The findings also reveal that in most of the district, such staff development activities were never enough and well organized for meaningful development of public service potentials. As a result, the quality of social service delivery; medical services, public primary education, public water and sanitation services and road infrastructural services was never satisfactory in most the parts of the district. It was concluded that the level of capacity building of local government civil servants very significantly influenced the quality of social services they were obligated to deliver to the public. This was not only limited to research participants in field survey but also applied to the rest of the civil servants in Galkacyo North District. It was thus recommended that staff development practices should be improved, civil servants should be tasked to deliver better quality of social services, and that there was need to align and sustain better staff development vis-â-vis social service quality needs.

2.3.1 Level of Staff Development .15

2.3.2 Quality of Social Services Delivery 18

2.3.3 Level of Staff Development and Quality of Social Service Delivery 20

2.4 Summary Research Gaps 22

2.5 Conclusion 23

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 24

3.0 Introduction 24

3.1 Research Design 24

3.2 Study area 24

3.2 Target Population 25

3.3 Sample Size 26

3.4 Sampling Strategies and Procedure 26

3.5 Research Instruments 28

3.5.1 Questionnaire 28

3.5.2 Interview Guide 29

3.6 Validity and Reliability ofthe Instruments 29

3.6.1 Validity 29

3.6.2 Reliability 30

3.7 Data Analysis 31

3.8 Ethical Considerations 31

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS 33

4.0 Introduction 33

4.1 Response rate 33

4.2 Background characteristics of respondents 34

4,3 Level of staff development 36

4.4 Quality of social service delivery 56

4.5 Level of staff development and quality of service delivery 64

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 70

5.0 Introduction 70

5.1 Summary of findings .70

5.2 Discussion of findings .74

5.2.1 Level of staff development 74

5.2.2 Quality of social service delivery 78

5.2.3 Level of staff development and quality of social service delivery 79

5.3 Conclusions 80

5.4 Recommendations 81

5.4.1 Improve staff development practices 82

5.5 Future research 82

References 84

Appendix I: Workplan

Appendix II: Research budget (US $) ii

Appendix III: Krecjeie and Morgan (1970) Sample Scale Table iii

Appendix IV: Transmittal letter to respondents iv

Appendix V: Questionnaire v

Appendix VI: Interview guide x

Appendix VII: Reliability test output xv

Appendix VIII:I ntroductory letter xvi

Appendix IX: Research permit xvii