Monitoring and Evaluation and Performance of Youth Employment Projects in Narok County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of monitoring and evaluation on the performance of youth employment projects in Narok County, Kenya. The study was guided by competency theory, theory of project management, stakeholder theory and resource based view theory. The target population was 195 respondents selected from the 32 registered and active youth employment projects in Narok County. The respondents included the project managers, youth leaders and government representatives among the youth employment projects in Narok County. The study assessed performance of the projects for the last five years between 2014- 2018. The research’s primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analysis the data, while SPSS was used in presenting the data through tables, graphs and charts. The study found that monitoring and evaluation positively influenced performance of youth employment projects in Narok County, Kenya. The study also found that the projects M&E staff were significantly trained, knowledgeable, skilled, experienced and shared knowledge. The study also found that stakeholders participated in the M&E process through awareness, resource oversight, data collection, needs assessment and reporting. It was concluded that organization structure in terms of M&E department, staff, systems and tools was moderately but significantly embraced by the youth employment projects in Narok County. Further, it was concluded that the youth employment projects in Narok County significantly embraced feedback in the M&E process through continuous improvement, decision making, regular monitoring, reporting and integration of policy. The study recommended that project management among the youth employment projects in Narok County need to enhance capacity of its team and embrace modern technology and systems to enhance performance. The projects should have clear M&E structure, managing, systems and processing to ensure peak project performance. The projects also need to significantly enhance stakeholder involvement and participation in the M&E process to promote joint ownership, decision making and continuous improvement. The study further recommended that the projects need to ensure seamless feedback, reporting, sharing of findings to promote process improvement