An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Performance Management System In Enhancing Public Service Delivery In The Office Of The Auditor General, Namibia

ABSTRACT

The Performance Management System (PMS) has evolved to enhance the performance of individuals and subsequently the entire organisation. The Government of the Republic of Namibia introduced the Performance Appraisal System in 1997. However, it was suspended in 1998 because of various problems. Nevertheless, there was still a need to evaluate employees’ performance, therefore, in 2010 the Performance Management System (PMS) was introduced in the Public Service including the Office of the AuditorGeneral. The system was fraught with various challenges that necessitated this study. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Performance Management Systems in enhancing public service delivery in the Office of the AuditorGeneral in Namibia. The study applied a Case Study Research design and a Mixed Method Approach using both the Quantitative and Qualitative Methods to collect data with structured and non-structured questions. The population was composed of employees of the Office of the Auditor-General as well as employees of the Office of the Prime Minister who were responsible for the Performance Management Systems and served as informants. Stratified Random Sampling was used to select the participants. The data was captured and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The study found out that the Performance Management System is effective in the Office of the AuditorGeneral. This was supported by the fact that the system motivates employees, makes employees understand what is expected of them and improved job performance. Moreover, the study managed to identify the challenges faced with the implementation of an effective Performance Management System. Some of the significant challenges were the manual nature of the system and lack of incentives linked to the system. Universally, challenges have to be eliminated in order for the system to run smoothly and yield desired results. The success of an institution lies on the shoulders of its employees, therefore, employees’ attitudes towards service delivery were also tested during the study and revelations were that the employees were optimistic. Specifically, it was determined that there is dedication, effort and interest in service delivery. Furthermore, the study outlines the success of the system. Amongst others, it enhances the achievements of targets and forms a basis of the Strategic Plan.