Factors Influencing The Performance Of Monitoring And Evaluation Systems In Non-Government Organizations In Lira District, Northern Uganda

ABSTRACT

Monitoring and evaluation systems allow for project activities to be measured and analyzed. Unfortunately, there is often a gap in the design of M&E systems; generation of information during the process of M&E and use of this information in future designs. The purpose of this study was to establish the factors influencing performance of M&E systems of NGOs in Lira District. The study was guided by the following research objectives: To determine how M&E structure influenced the performance of M&E systems of NGOs in Lira district; to assess how human resource capacity influenced the performance of M&E systems of NGOs in Lira district; to examine how data quality influenced the performance of M&E systems of NGOs in Lira district and to establish how the M&E methods influenced the performance of M&E systems of NGO’s in Lira district. The research design used was a cross-sectional.

The study targeted seventy nine (79) respondents who included managers, M&E officers and other organization staffs who work closely with the M&E department. The data collection instrument used was a questionnaire with 79 of them sent by the researcher to 72 respondents.. The findings were that, M&E structure, data quality, human resource capacity and use of the M&E methods influenced the performance of M&E system in NGOs in Lira District as M&E officers, staffs who had M&E experience and training, utilized M&E information adequately and carried out regular data collection from various sources. More so the performance of monitoring and evaluation systems was satisfactory given the fact that information was accessible to organizational staff; feedback after measurement of project activities was received and the information needs of staff were met. Therefore, the study recommends that non-governmental

organizations should ensure routine data audit, conduct preliminary assessment of impacts by conducting case studies and combine the use of logical framework with outcome mapping.