Monitoring and Evaluation and Performance of Environmental Projects in Kenya: a Case of a Selected Project at the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance

Abstract

The importance of monitoring and evaluation as a key instrument for program performance has grown. Continuous project progress monitoring seems to increase, among other things, the likelihood of project success. In order to improve project performance, several businesses have worked to incorporate an M&E system. Many nations have created laws and regulations to safeguard the environment and make sure that human activities have as little influence as possible on it in reaction to the growing environmental deterioration. This9 study9 aimed9 to9 determine9 the9 influence9 of9 monitoring9 and9 evaluation9 on9 the9 performance9 of9 environmental9 projects9 in9Kenya, and specifically on a selected project at the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance. The study set out to answer the following questions on the impact of M&E expertise, stakeholder participation, project budget, and M&E structure on the success of environmental projects at the Institute of Environmental Studies (IES) in Kenya. A descriptive survey method was used for this investigation. The target population was 40 and included project managers, project assistants, monitoring and evaluation officers, project field officers, and other personnel involved in implementing environmental projects at the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance. Additionally, the sample included 40 personnel, and ethical considerations in research were considered. The data was collected with the use of a questionnaire and an interview guide, and it was afterwards analyzed9 using9 descriptive9 statistics9 and9 the9 software that comes with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). These measurements included the central tendency and the percentages as well as frequency distributions as well as measures of dispersion. According to the study findings, employees in Kenya at the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance had the necessary experience to collect primary M&E data from environmental projects within the required time, stakeholder participation in monitoring and evaluation is essential for positive project outcomes to be realized, M&E activities should be budgeted for so that the resources needed to carry them out are made available and that an M&E structure enhances completion and success of environmental projects. The study concluded that expertise in M&E, Stakeholders’ participation, Project budget and M&E Structure affect all performance of environmental projects in Kenya at the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance. The study recommended that the management at the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance should ensure that all the individuals involved in M&E exercise undergo continuous capacity development, all environmental projects have an efficient stakeholder engagement framework, M&E activities for environmental projects are budgeted for in advance so that the resources needed to carry them out are made available, and that the established M&E structure is based on best practices that promote evidence-based public trust and decision-making