Effect of performance contracting on perceived service delivery in the Kenya civil service in eastern provincial headquarters, Embu

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to find out the effect of performance contracting on perceived service delivery in the civil service. The research was motivated by the fact that there have been concerted efforts to correct the scenario of declining performance of the public service. The Public Service Reform Program (PSRP) was developed and the Strategy for Performance Improvement in the Public Service launched in 2001. The Government of Kenya adopted, as a policy, the application of Performance Contracts in the management of the Public Service. Having adopted Performance Contracting in most of the Ministries by the year 2006, research has been carried out mainly among recipients of the service to establish its effectiveness in service delivery. This research was carried out among providers of the service (civil servants) working at the Provincial Headquarter, Eastern province, Embu County. The target population was 112 respondents on Job group J and above whose statistics were available at the District Commissioner's office. Descriptive research design was used. Primary data was collected by use of structured questionnaires, with closed ended questions; 100 questionnaires were issued and 91 completed ones received back. They were reviewed for completeness and validity, coded and keyed into the computer for analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics was carried out. Percentile comparisons, frequency tables, pie charts and various types of graphs were used for presentation of findings. It was established from the findings that performance contracting has had a positive effect in increasing efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery. It has caused civil servants to be more devoted to their work and more transparent in their dealings with clients. The researcher recommended that there was need for Ministry of State for Public Service to offer more training on PAS to all cadres of staff and especially those in Office of the President. There was also need to review the performance contracting process in order to reduce details of performance reporting to avoid taking too much time on it. Its format should also be varied with cadres and not applied uniformly. Further research needs to be carried out among civil servants on job group H and below who started performance contracts in 2008/2009. Other research could also be carried out on other factors, other than PC, that could help improve performance in the civil service.