STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE HEALTH SECTOR OF KASESE DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UGANDA

Abstract

Despite the adoption staff development interventions such employee training, employee career development and employee performance management by Kasese District Local Government (LG) poor employee performance in the health sector persisted. Thus, the purpose of the study was to examine the effect of staff development on employee performance in the health sector of Kasese District LG. The objectives were to investigate the effect of employee training on employee performance in the health sector of Kasese District LG, to assess the effect of employee career development on employee performance in the health sector of Kasese District LG and to examine the effect of employee performance management on employee performance in the health sector of Kasese District LG. The study used a case study design that involved quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sample size was 317 respondents but 247 respondents participated in the study. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (Spearman correlation, coefficient of determination and regression) were for quantitative data analysis while content analysis was used for qualitative data. Findings revealed a moderate effect of employee training on employee performance in Kasese district LG health sector. This was because employee training accounted for 27.9% of variance in employee performance. There was a moderate positive effect of employee career development on employee performance in Kasese district LG health sector. This was because employee career development accounts for 31.8% of variance in employee performance. There was a moderate positive effect of employee performance management on employee performance in Kasese district LG health sector. This was because employee performance management accounted for 30.5% of variance in employee performance. It was concluded that staff development significantly affected employee performance. It is recommended that KDLG health sector should improve its employee training to enhance employee performance by first focusing on employee training needs assessment followed by employee training content delivery and employee training evaluation. It should also improve its employee career development to enhance employee performance by first focusing on employee career discussions then employee career counseling. Lastly, it should improve its employee performance management to enhance employee performance by first focusing on goal setting given that it more affected employee performance compared to employee performance appraisal.