Name: Edwin Ochieng Okul

Topic: Institutional Factors, Stakeholder Involvement in Evaluations and Utilization of Evaluation Results Among Non-Governmental Organizations in Kisumu Central Sub-County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

A very important outcome of any evaluation for most evaluators is the utilization of the evaluation results. The concept of utilization refers mainly to what happens to the information generated after the evaluation is complete. One of the greatest challenges in project management has been how to make sure that the results or findings of an evaluation are actually being used. Large amount of resources is spent on evaluation of development programmes in Kisumu Central Sub-county but not much is known about the usefulness of these evaluations. The study sought to investigate the extent to which organizational leadership style, capacity and culture influences the utilization of evaluation results for programme improvement. The study also required to establish the moderating influence of stakeholder involvement in evaluations on the relationship between institutional factors and the utilization of evaluation findings by Non-Government Organization (NGO) Programmes in Kisumu Central Sub-county. Using the Knowledge Use Theory and Utilization Focused Evaluation Model, the study demonstrates that there is a significant relationship between institutional factors and the utilization of evaluation results by NGO projects in Kisumu Central Sub-County. The other guiding hypothesis was that stakeholder involvement in evaluations significantly moderates the relationship between institutional factors and the utilization of evaluation results by NGO projects in Kisumu Central Sub-county. Based on the pragmatic paradigm, the research adopted a descriptive and correlational design using mixed methods. The study population was 585 project staff, that is, 5 from each of the 117 NGOs in Kisumu Central Sub-County. Using the Krejcie & Morgan table and the hypergeometric distribution formula for small samples to confirm the sample, the sample size for this study was 232. The study then adopted the simple random sampling approach to reach 2 members of staff from a list of 5 staff in each NGO. The questionnaire was the main instrument, supported by interview schedules. The instruments were pre-tested to selected project staff within NGOs in a neighbouring Sub-county. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 computer program was used to generate means and standard deviations for each independent and dependent variable. To analyse qualitative data, the open ended responses from key informant interviews were recorded and coded appropriately for further analysis for themes through content analysis and comparative analysis. Frequencies and percentages were calculated to describe the basic characteristics of the quantitative data. To ensure validity and reliability of the research instruments, pilot testing was conducted. Cronbach’s alpha at α = 0.935, α = 0.908, α = 0.995, α = 0.997 and α = 0.935 was attained for organizational leadership styles, organizational capacity, organizational culture, stakeholder involvement in evaluation and utilization of evaluation results respectively as the reliability coefficient of the pre-test instruments. Simple and multiple linear regression and Pearson Correlation Coefficient models were used to determine the extent to which institutional factors and stakeholder involvement in evaluation influences utilization of evaluation results in Non-Government Organization (NGO) Programmes in Kisumu Central Sub-county. The regression beta coefficients results revealed that all the institutional factors and stakeholder involvement in evaluation results significantly (p-value <0.05) predicted utilization of evaluation results. Tests of statistical assumptions were carried out before data analysis to avoid invalidation of statistical analysis. Six hypotheses were tested at α = .05 level of significance. H01: Organizational leadership style does not significantly influence utilization of evaluation results was rejected since P = 0.000<0.05; H02: Organizational capacity does not significantly influence utilization of evaluation results was rejected since P = 0.000<0.05; H03: Organizational culture does not significantly influence utilization of evaluation results was rejected since P = 0.000<0.05, H04: Stakeholder involvement in evaluation does not significantly influence utilization of evaluation results was rejected since P = 0.000<0.05; H05: The combined Institutional factors does not significantly influence utilization of evaluation results was rejected since P = 0.000<0.05 and H06: Stakeholder involvement in evaluation does not significantly intervene in the relationship between Institutional factors and utilization of evaluation results was rejected since P=0.000<0.05. It is recommended that organizational capacity for evaluation should be improved, and project stakeholders be fully involved in the evaluation process to enhance utilization of evaluation results among NGOs in Kisumu Central Sub-County. This research therefore reinforces literature and helps to understand the ways in which organizational factors influence utilization of evaluation results. The study thus informs the evaluation field of study and fills gaps in the evaluation use literature by examining elements of the most recent evaluation use frameworks. It contributes to the appreciation of factors that predict and enhance the utilization of evaluation results.