INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION PRACTICES IN COUNTY GOVERNMENTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON SERVICE DELIVERY; A CASE OF MOMBASA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Studies have indicated a situation where despite the existence of monitoring and evaluation in various countries including Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa and in Kenya, the practice has not been fully institutionalized. The purpose of this research was to establish the factors that contributed towards the institutionalization of M&E system in county governments with a special reference to Mombasa County. This was because current literature on M&E had not fully explored how to have a sustainable and fully institutionalized monitoring and evaluation system by way of ignoring some fundamental issues such as institutional pressures and leadership styles. The research was founded on four research objectives; establishing the relationship between institutional pressures and institutionalization of monitoring and evaluation practices in Mombasa County, establishing the relationship between leadership styles and institutionalization of monitoring and evaluation practices in Mombasa County as well as examining the relationship between resource characteristics and institutionalization of monitoring and evaluation practices in Mombasa County. Further, the research sought to establish if top county management support had a bearing on institutionalization of monitoring and evaluation practices in Mombasa County. Institutionalization is an aspect deeper than mere implementation. The research is descriptive in nature. Data was collected by means of questionnaires through filling Likert type items. Analysis was done by SPSS software and MS excel. The findings on the first objective were that both internal and external pressures are associated with institutionalization of monitoring and evaluation and this is congruent with other studies. On the second objective it was established that transformational leadership style was more appropriate than transactional leadership style in support of some studies and contrast to others. On the third objective, both resources were appropriate but tangible resources were more relevant in institutionalization of monitoring and evaluation practices. Top management moderated the effect. It’s recommended that adequate pressure should be exerted onto the institution by the stakeholders, transformational leadership style should be dominant, and adequate resources should be made available and top management of the county must positively influence the process of M&E institutionalization.