An Assessment of the Implementation of Results Based Management Approach in the Public Sector: a Case Study of the National Treasury, Department of Government Investment and Public Enterprises (GIPE)

Abstract

Results based management (RBM) approach has evolved over time as a management strategy into the public sector due to donor demand and pressure from taxpayers throughout the world. Use of the strategy in public and private sector had risen to prominence globally. This had increased attention among researchers worldwide who had acknowledged its significance to assess implementation of RBM strategy against set standards in improving efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of a system. The Government of Kenya adopted the RBM method in 2004 and developed brilliant economic development policy papers and programmes to enhance livelihoods through the accomplishment of viable development outcomes. The aim of the study was to measure the degree to which RBM practices were executed at The National Treasury, Department of Government Investment and Public Enterprises in Nairobi. The study was guided by three research objectives: to establish the implementation of the core results attributes of RBM; to establish the implementation of the interdependency among RBM components; and to determine the implementation of horizontal and vertical integration of RBM across sector ministries and all levels of government. The study adopted quantitative research design and a questionnaire was used as the research instrument. The target population was drawn from the GIPE department. The 38 respondents targeted as key informants were drawn from planning, budgeting, implementing, monitoring, evaluation and reporting at GIPE. From a sample of 38 selected, 30 responded giving a response rate of 79%. The study findings revealed that the planning component of RBM had the highest score average of 81.3% closely followed by the budgeting component with a score of 79%; implementation component scored the lowest at 72.4%. The strongest results-based components in this study were planning, budgeting and evaluation, while monitoring and implementation components were moderate. Although displaying important results-oriented aspects and qualities all round, the existing system indicated a weakness in its implementation stage. Findings for the interdependency component showed planning-budgeting as the strongest interdependency among components with the highest average score of 84.4%, followed by the implementation-monitoring at 75.7%. The monitoring-evaluation linkage was third with a score of 75.4%. Budgeting-implementation link was fourth with a component score of 74% and the evaluation-planning had the least score of 71.7% being the weakest link amongst the other links. Budgeting-implementation and the evaluation-planning links were moderate with limited feedback to planning, where its results were hardly utilized in budgeting, planning and policy making...