Effects of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems on Managerial decision-making among Non-governmental Organizations in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Concerns arise as to whether Non-governmental Organizations, make optimal program decisions based on information and evidence generated from Monitoring and Evaluation systems, as they spend millions of Kenya Shillings on development interventions. This study sought to find the effects of M&E systems; specifically, M&E information availability and accessibility, M&E system responsiveness and sustainability on managerial decision-making among NGOs in Nairobi. The study adopted a stratified and simple random sampling approach. A partially mixed concurrent equal status design was adopted. Primary quantitative data using survey questionnaire and qualitative data using key informant interviews was collected to address the research questions. 254 NGOs participated in the questionnaire survey while 17 NGOs responded to KIIs. Basic descriptive, correlation analysis, and regression were used to analyze quantitative feedback while thematic content analysis was adopted for analysis of qualitative feedback. The study revealed that the four sub-dimensions of M&E namely information availability, information accessibility, system responsiveness, and system sustainability were positively linked and contributed 54 percent to improved managerial decision-making in NGOs. M&E information availability accounted for 57 percent improved NGO managerial decision making. Accessibility of M&E information was found to positively influence and contributed 59 percent of NGO’s capability to make informed managerial decisions. The level of M&E system responsiveness influenced 65 percent of NGO’s decision-making capabilities. Sustainability of M&E systems was positively linked and contributed 65 percent of improved NGO managerial decision-making. A three-fold conclusion was made. Firstly, that if M&E information is readily available and accessible, then M&E systems can supply timely and reliable information demanded by various program decision makers. Secondly, if M&E systems are sustainable, then NGOs can seamlessly benefit from M&E information and remain fully functional despite significant project changes. Thirdly, if M&E systems are responsive to user’s needs, then NGOs can at any time provide necessary information to support decision making.