FACTORS AFFECTING STAFF PERFORMANCE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN UGANDA: A CASE STUDY OF KASESE DISTRICT.

Abstract

The study set out to establish the factors affecting staff performance in Local Governments in Uganda, a case study of Kasese District. The study was guided by three objectives namely; to establish how technical factors affect staff performance, to assess the contribution of financial resources to staff performance and to establish the moderator effect of government policy on staff performance in Kasese District. Findings are; the correlation analysis and T-Test analysis showed that technical factors have a positive relationship on staff performance. The analysis on financial resources showed that financial resources have a negative relationship on staff performance. It was found out that government policy has a significant moderator effect on staff performance. It was established that rewards and performance have a relationship because people are motivated when they expect that a course of action is likely to lead to the attainment of a goal and reward results into improved performance. And it was found out that staff recognition has a significant relationship with performance as Hertzberg (1968) noted that recognition is an intrinsic job satisfier and therefore, when staff are not recognized then there is possibility of not performing as expected. The study concluded that skills and experience have a significant relationship on performance, opportunities for further studies be provided to staff to enhance their performance, salaries paid to staff have a bearing on performance, the provision of non-financial rewards can enhance performance, government policy has a bearing on staff performance. The study recommended that five staff should be given opportunities for further studies each year to enhance their performance, the District leadership should ask the central government to review the salaries paid to staff, Kasese district should institute mechanisms for the provision of financial and non financial incentives to staff to enhance performance and the central government should release funds to the district at the beginning of each quarter to enhance performance.