An evaluation of effectiveness of Performance contracting on service delivery: A case of Department of provincial Administration of Public Services, Teso North District, Ken

Abstract

In order for the Provincial Administration department in Kenya to deliver its mandate, it needs Efficient and proper service delivery. The implementation of performance contracting was aimed at addressing quality of service delivery. Despite these reforms, apparently there remain some challenges in terms of quality of service delivery. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Performance Contracting on service delivery by Provincial Administration in Teso North district. The study also sought to evaluate the level of implementation of Performance Contract components, determine the level of competence of the employees in implementing Performance contracts and finally to determine the customers' perception of efficiency of service delivery the department. The study used the descriptive survey research design. Primary data was collected from a sample size of 147 drawn from a target population of 490 consisting of 90 employees of Provincial Administration and 400 members of the public who on average visited Provincial Administration offices per day for various services. Both stratified random sampling And purposive sampling were used for Provincial Administration staff and members of the public respectively to pick the respondents. The data was gathered by use of a questionnaire that had both open and closed ended questions. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze data in form of frequencies and percentages, and presented in tables. The study revealed that the implementation of Performance Contracting was effective in improving efficiency in service delivery by the department. However some key elements of an effective Performance Contracting system including Monitoring and Evaluation and Customer satisfaction survey were found to require improved implementation. There is need to improve training of staff and address challenges Encountered by the employees. It is recommended that performance contracting implementation Process be strengthened and its use be applied in the entire Public Service in Kenya.