STAFF TRAINING AND SERVICE DELIVERY IN THE JUDICIARY SYSTEM OF UGANDA: A CASE OF CHIEF MAGISTRATES’ COURTS IN THE ELGON REGION, UGANDA

Abstract

The researcher analyzed the role of staff training on service delivery in the Elgon region Chief Magistrates’ Courts, Uganda. The rationale of the study was that despite several interventions by the Judiciary and its development partners to improve service delivery in form of professionalization of the bench, construction of courts and staff houses, training and establishment of the JLOS integrity committee, service delivery still remained poor in terms of increased case backlog, delayed judgments, late coming and absenteeism by magistrates among others. Therefore, the study particularly sought to examine how on-the-job training affects service delivery in Elgon Region Chief Magistrates’ Courts; and to assess the role of off-the-job training on service delivery in the Elgon Region Chief Magistrates’ Courts. Following a largely qualitative as well as exploratory and case study design, the researcher collected qualitative data from a sample of 23 respondents. The researcher used interviews as a guide for data collection. Data was synthesized, analyzed and reviewed to obtain insights and study conclusive information. This was partly because data coding or use of computers to analyze data was not done. The researcher found that the more effective on-the-job training is, the more empowered an employee is at addressing customer needs and hence, the better the performance of the Judiciary in terms of service delivery. It was established that training is tailored to suit the day-to-day work of judicial officers. Workshop on sentencing guidelines and judgment writing were the dominant forms of training received by the staff in the Elgon Region Chief Magistrate’s Courts. Other forms of training though not dominant were coaching, delegation and job rotation. It concluded that on the-job training and off-the-job training affects service delivery in terms of quality of services, customer satisfaction, and timeliness of services. The study recommends that training plans should be performed in a coordinated and collaborative manner to achieve quality service delivery; and there should be a career development program sponsored by the government offering long term courses that lead to promotion of employees.