Monitoring and Evaluation Practices and Performance of Water Development Projects in Meru County

Abstract

Project performance is a paramount concern for organizations, institutions, and even governments on a global scale. The primary purpose of allocating resources—including human, financial, material, and capital—is to guarantee that projects are executed as intended, including adherence to schedule, budget, and scope, while also providing the anticipated value and ultimately meeting anticipated performance standards. Anxieties rely on the achievement of projects as engines that promote and propel economic growth. The reputation of water development project performance worldwide has grown due to its positive impact on the welfare of the global population. Drawing upon stakeholder theory, organizational learning theory, and systems theory, this research investigated the impact of monitoring and evaluation processes on the efficacy of water development initiatives in Meru County, Kenya. The purpose of this study was to determine how water development projects in Meru County were impacted by planning, stakeholder participation, reporting, and the application of monitoring and evaluation results. By providing answers to questions regarding how, what, and when, this descriptive research design offered an exhaustive account of the phenomenon under investigation. Included in the target population of this investigation were managers, project officers, and project beneficiaries. Beneficiaries of the project are the principal subjects of data collection concerning water performance. Key informants in this regard consist of project officers, government officials, and stakeholders. The sample size in its entirety comprised 159 respondents. The instruments used for data collection comprised a template for a questionnaire that inquired about the demographic characteristics of the respondents and centered on the variables under investigation. Regarding educational attainment, it is noteworthy that 50.9% of the respondents held bachelor's degrees, while 17% held master's degrees. This indicates that the cohort of participants offering insights on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) was highly informed. The analysis of the performance of monitoring and evaluation techniques as well as water development initiatives was conducted using descriptive statistics. Water development project analyses reveal noteworthy outcomes with regard to affordability, beneficiary contentment, and project quality. The results of a regression analysis used to assess hypotheses indicate that 82.3% of the variance in the performance of water development projects can be accounted for by M&E practices. In brief, the result revealed that 72.90 percent of respondents had implemented Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) planning within their respective initiatives. H01 was rejected on the basis of the significant p-value of 0.039 (<0.05) obtained from the regression analysis. This rejection underscores the critical role that M&E planning plays in influencing project performance. In addition, 71.7% of participants confirmed that M&E stakeholder engagement was a component of their initiatives. The rejection of Hypothesis 02 due to the significant p-value of 0.019 (<0.05) obtained from the regression analysis highlights the critical importance of stakeholder engagement in M&E projects in improving overall performance. Recommendations include prioritizing stakeholder involvement, ensuring clear project objectives, and fostering regular engagement to enhance staff skills. Future research suggestions highlight the exploration of sustainability issues, adopting a holistic approach, and extending the focus beyond water development to include various project types, particularly infrastructure projects in Meru County, Kenya