Influence of monitoring and evaluation process on implementation of HIV & AIDs projects in Kenya: a case of dreams project in Nairobi County

Abstract

The Monitoring and Evaluation process is vital in ensuring project efficiency and effectiveness during the life cycle. Thus, the imperative need to exhaustively study the influence of the Monitoring and Evaluation process on HIV/AIDS project(s) if we wish to attain sustainable development goal three of the SDGS, which targets to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages with the emphasis on target number 3.3; end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other infectious diseases by 2030. This study aimed to examine the influence of Monitoring and Evaluation process on the implementation of HIV/AIDS projects in Kenya: the DREAMS project in Nairobi County. The following objectives guided the study: how stakeholders’ participation in the Monitoring and Evaluation process influences the implementation of HIV/AIDS projects in Kenya; how funding for the Monitoring and Evaluation process influences implementation of HIV/AIDS-related projects in Kenya; how skilled expertise in Monitoring and Evaluation influences the implementation of HIV/AIDS projects in Kenya, how institutional leadership in Monitoring and Evaluation process influences the implementation of HIV/AIDS projects in Kenya. The study was anchored on stakeholder theory, theory of change, and program theory. The study targeted the project staff members of the Centre for the Study of Adolescents (CSA), one of the institutions that implemented the DREAMS project in Kenya. . The targeted population was fifty one people, with a one hundred percent response rate. The researcher used structured self-administered questionnaires and interviews as the primary data collection instruments. A descriptive analysis was employed on the data collected, and the results were presented using charts, graphs, and tables. The research showed that 88.3 percent of the respondents agreed that stakeholders should be involved in monitoring and evaluation processes. Ninety eight percent of the participants agreed that funding is a crucial component for the monitoring and evaluation process's success. The funds provide all the necessities required to achieve set goals within a project; thus, funding for the Monitoring and Evaluation process should be separated from the primary project funding. All the respondents agreed that skills and expertise in Monitoring and Evaluation are fundamental in the Monitoring and Evaluation process. It enables the staff partaking in M & E to be fully conversant with what they are doing and what is expected of them during the entire process. It also fosters a sense of professionalism within the project. Institutional leadership is key in the monitoring and evaluation process, as the leadership not only develops policies but provides strategic direction during the Monitoring and Evaluation process. The analysis of the results was done using means, percentages, frequencies, and standard deviation and presented in tables. Stakeholder participation had a composite mean of 3.606 and standard deviation of 1.023, availability of funds had a composite mean of 2.82 and standard deviation of 0.606, skilled labor had a composite mean of 3.777 and standard deviation of 1.124 and finally organization leadership had a composite mean of 2.89 and standard deviation of 1.2. There was a positive correlation of 0.945 which justified the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The findings thus, revealed that the four variables studied directly influence monitoring and evaluation. Stakeholder participation in decision making and skills of the staff had the biggest impact on monitoring and evaluation process. Funding and institutional leadership similarly had a significant impact on the monitoring and evaluation processes. The study recommends that project implementers should find unique ways of ensuring all stakeholders are involved in all the project stages, consider a separate budget for the monitoring and evaluation process, internally train staff on monitoring and evaluation process and adopt accountability for all persons involved in the monitoring and evaluation process.