Participatory monitoring and evaluation (pm&e) and service delivery in Uganda a case of USAID-safe program in Gulu district

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) enhances service delivery in Uganda. It was carried out on the USAID-SAFE program in Gulu District. The specific objectives were: To find out the relationship between participatory planning and service delivery at SAFE Program in Uganda. To establish the relationship between participatory implementation and service delivery at SAFE Program in Uganda. To find out the relationship between participatory decision making by project teams and service delivery in Uganda. A case study design was used in this research where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted. A sample size of 117 respondents was sampled for the study and interviewed. The study found a significant relationship between the Participatory Planning and Service Delivery; this implies that, if the SAFE Program in Gulu district improves on their participation in planning, automatically service delivery will also improve. Correspondingly, there is a significant linear relationship between Participatory Implementation and Service Delivery. The additional findings revealed a positive relationship between Participatory decision making and service delivery at SAFE program in Gulu. The study concluded that, involvement of stakeholder’s in undertaking activities related to M&E of a project increase service delivery and sustainability of projects. This study recommends that SAFE needs to embrace and promote Stakeholder participation in Project Design, Setting objectives and selecting priority projects to enhance quality and accessibility of services. It also urges that strengthen community structures, including Peace committees, Peace clubs, District Land board (DLB) enhances effective service delivery. This study proposes that a similar study be undertaken in a larger section of multiple community development projects to produce new or added findings on how PM&E can enhance service delivery.