Impact of monitoring and evaluation systems on sustainability of community based projects: case of Women's voices project in Siaya counnty, Kenya

Abstract

The background of this study assessed how Monitoring and Evaluation Systems plays a crucial role in Sustainability of Community Based Projects and how a correctly designed and implemented community Monitoring and Evaluation is a valuable management tool, that has been in practice globally and regionally for the communities to efficiently organize their resources and take well-informed decisions for planning their future interventions, which eventually lead to Sustainability of the Community Based Projects after the offset of the implementing agency.

The statement of the problem for this study explicitly brings out how components of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems such as Group Training on Logical Framework application, Project Management Information System, Utilization of Monitoring and Evaluation results, and Financing and Budgeting for Monitoring and Evaluation activities have not been used efficaciously to address the issues of Sustainability of Community based Projects.

The purpose of the study was to assess the Impact of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems on Sustainability of Community Based Projects in Siaya County, Kenya; by establishing the extent to which Group Training on Logical Framework Application; Project Management Information Systems; Utilization of Monitoring and Evaluation Results and Project Finance and Budgeting of Monitoring and Evaluation activities; as components of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems impact on Sustainability of Community Based Projects. Cor relational research design was adopted for the study.

The research covered all the 7 administrative divisions. The research targeted 380 respondents of which 372 were interviewed. Purposive and cluster sampling procedures with the application of Creative Research System formula. The study found that the components of log-frame such as Logical framework, Project Management Information Systems, Utilization of Monitoring and Evaluation Results and Project Budgeting and Financing of Monitoring and Evaluation Activities; had negative impact on sustainability of Community Based Projects after the offset of the implementing agency which led to decline of project sustainability.

The study also established through hypotheses testing that there is a strong positive correlations between training of logical framework. application as a component of Monitoring and Evaluation system and sustainability of Community Based Projects, r (368) = 0.77, p>0.05; strong positive correlations between Project management System as a component of Monitoring and Evaluation system and sustainability of Community Based Projects, r (368) = 0.76, p>0.05; strong positive correlations between Utilization of Monitoring and Evaluation results as a component of Monitoring and Evaluation system and sustainability of Community Based Projects, r (368) = 0.79, p>0.05; and strong positive correlations between project Budgeting and Financing of Monitoring and Evaluation Activities as a component of Monitoring and

Evaluation system and sustainability of Community Based Projects, r (368) = 0.79, p>0.05. The study therefore concluded and recommended that in regard to the components of Monitoring and Evaluation systems, implementing agencies should take initiative to train, capacitate, equip, budget and fund project members in regard to Monitoring and Evaluation systems and activities to assist project members in addressing issues of failed sustainability after the offset of the implementing agency. Amongst others, the study proposed further research on challenges facing the Logical framework approach in Monitoring and Evaluation of Community Based Projects.