MONITORING AND EVALUATION PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTFUNDED EDUCATION PROJECTS IN MACHAKOS COUNTY, KENYA

Elizabeth Nduku Mutune, Dr. Purity Gatobu

Abstract


Monitoring and evaluation are critical elements of a project’s cycle because they help project managers enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of projects. However, the implementation of M&E practices for county government-funded projects still needs improvement, with many education projects funded by the county government of Machakos experiencing late completion, cost overruns, or failing to achieve set targets. The general objective of this study was to examine the impact of select monitoring and evaluation practices on the effectiveness of county government-funded education projects in Machakos County. The specific objectives of this study were to examine the impact of M&E capacity building on the performance of County government-funded education projects in Machakos County and to evaluate the effect of utilization of M&E findings on the sustainability of County Government funded education projects in Machakos County. This study focused on 27 county-government funded education projects implemented during the 2018-2022 Term Plan under CDIP II, within the eight (8) sub-counties in Machakos County. The target population were 243 project staff in the education projects who constituted the Project Managers from the county headquarters, Ward administrators, M&E Officers, Village administrators and Community Project Committee members. This study used a descriptive survey research design, while stratified random sampling was used to select a sample.   A pilot study was conducted to test the feasibility and reliability of the study instruments, utilizing 15 respondents who made up 10% of the sample size. Data collected was cleaned, edited, coded and analyzed using SPSS. The study findings significantly benefit county and national governments and future researchers. The regression analysis revealed that all M&E practices significantly influence project performance, with the utilization of M&E results showing the highest impact (β = 0.315, p = 0.000), followed by M&E capacity building (β = 0.285, p = 0.000). The findings conclude that continuous capacity building and effective utilization of M&E results are critical for enhancing the performance of education projects. The study recommends investing in targeted capacity-building programs, and ensuring the timely and strategic use of M&E findings to drive evidence-based decision-making and project sustainability.  

Key Words: Monitoring and Evaluation Practices County Government-Funded Education Projects, M&E Capacity Building, Utilization of M&E Findings 


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