CRITICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEM OF BAYLOR INTERNATIONAL PAEDIATRIC HIV CARE CENTRE- MULAGO

Abstract

The study was conducted to analyse the key factors that influence the effectiveness of Monitoring and Evaluation system for Baylor International Paediatric HIV CARE Centre – Mulago as a case study. The main objectives of the study were to assess the factors influencing the effectiveness of the M & E system in BIPAI HIV Care Centre-Mulago. The study was guided by the following variables; the effect of indicators and tools used, effects of funding, human resources and stake holder’s commitment and their influence on M & E systems. The study used a cross-sectional study design on a population of 251 respondents comprising of M & E Staff/ Officers, Project Managers (M & E), civil society Leaders and Clients of BIPAI project selected using purposive, convenience and simple random sampling methods. The data were collected using questionnaires, interview and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies, graphs, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient and regressions. Qualitative data were analysed through transcribing and generation of themes from presentation in narrative form. The study empirically established that the indicators and tools used, funding, human resources and the stakeholders’ commitment had a significant relationship with the effectiveness of the monitoring and Evaluation system. Hence the study concluded that the BIPAI project had established a set of indicators and tools for M & E, had allocated adequate funds for the M&E activities, had competent human resources coupled with stake holder’s commitment which had relationship with the effectiveness of M & E systems. The study recommended that the management of BIPAI project should continuously set project indicators and tools to guide implementation of M & E activities; should ensure that there is enough funding for the implementation of the project activities and also incorporate the budget for funding of M & E activities into the project documents and also share the budgets with other partners that are implementing the M&E activities ;Stake holders and project implementers should regularly be updated and given opportunities to expand their capacity in documentation of data and information relevant to undertake critical project decisions. Further, the stakeholders especially beneficiaries should be involved in all project processes beginning with the initial project assessments ,planning for the project activities, implementation, monitoring and Evaluation so as to contribute to effective M & E systems critical for proper decision making at organisational level.