MONITORING AND EVALUATION AS TOOLS FOR ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION PROJECTS(A REGIONAL SURVEY)

ABSTRACT

The research centered on “Monitoring and Evaluation as Tools for Achieving Success in  the Performance of  Government Intervention Projects” (A Regional Survey). The study is empirical in nature and involves the use of both primary and secondary data for the development of the study. The major problems associated with the study include: project abandonment, which results to poor economic growth rate. Low income per capital etc. Some of the Objectives of the study  include:  identification  of  the  importance of  monitoring  and evaluation and establishment of the consequences of poor monitoring of government intervention projects. Chi-square, percentages and tables were used in the analysis of the data collected for the study. The   researcher   explained   the   importance   of   monitoring   and evaluation as  a  way  of  achieving success in  the performance of government intervention projects. The researcher also discussed the effects of poor monitoring and evaluation and how they can result to project abandonment. Some suggestions were made as solution to poor monitoring and evaluation of government intervention projects which include sticking to project timetable and proper costing of the project. Some findings were made based on the analysis of the data collected. The researcher recommended that project planners should carry out adequate monitoring and evaluation in executing any government intervention projects.  Other  recommendations include: appointment of a well experienced and highly skilled independent project manager to carryout a project work.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0  INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

A well-thought and effectively executed project to a large extent contributes to national development. For a project to be implemented and objective of it realized, a thorough monitoring and evaluation of it has to be carried out. Any government intervention project   embarked   upon   without   adequate   monitoring   and evaluation is just like flogging a dead horse as the project is going to be abandoned at last.

So before a project is embarked upon, adequate monitoring and evaluation should be carried out to ensure success in the performance   of   government   intervention   projects.   In   effect, therefore, project evaluation and monitoring could operate in an interacting manner to ensure that plans. Goals or objectives are attained. Since monitoring is primarily concerned with accessing the progress achieved in implementing an objective or programme efficiently and effectively, the executors of the project through the monitoring and evaluation process can control what is going on and

accordingly take timely action to resolve possible problems by adjusting the original plan of action. The importance of project monitoring and evaluation cannot be over stated against the background of the numerous cases of government-abandoned projects in developing countries like Nigeria. Many projects in Nigeria whose viability and feasibility were ascertained got stalled due mainly to shoddy monitoring and evaluation on the part of executors who either lacked effective project monitoring and evaluation skill or that the promoters of such projects failed to heed the relevant reports of the executors at the appropriate time until it was too late.

Monitoring and evaluation are so closely related that they are most often used interchangeably. However, a distinction should be made between the two concepts. Whereas monitoring and evaluation examines set out indicators of progress such as financial statements, and compares expenditure with actual budgets to asses conformity with established work plan, evaluation is concerned with determining the effectiveness and impact of the programme output. The evaluator whether internal or external to the programme team ask questions on what is being done, why and how well. He goes

further  to  find  out  whether  the  objective  being  pursued  as previously planned is still relevant in the face of certain unforeseen factors that occurred between the time the programme was formulated and the time the implementation process is going on. The evaluator could carry out the exercise of evaluating during the programme implementation to analyze the impact of the programme to the economy and provide a basis for decision-making with regard to future phases of the project implementation process. Inadequate monitoring and evaluation will lead to project abandonment. Project abandonment will result to colossal waste of scarce resources, poor economic growth rates, and low income per capital, political instability, technological backdrop and the failure syndrome. It is in the light of the above that the researcher has decided to write on the monitoring and evaluation as tools for achieving success in the performance of  government intervention projects with  particular reference to South-Eastern region of Nigeria.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Statistics that had been carried out over years in Nigeria showed that two-third of government intervention projects could not survive

due to poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation. The inadequate monitoring and evaluation, to a very large extent cause project abandonment. A typical example of federal government project that had been abandoned due to poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation, is Ajaokuta Steel Industry located at Ajaokuta in Kogi State. The sitting of the industry is politically motivated. The former president of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari sited the industry there simply to compensate the then National Chairman of National Party of Nigeria (NPN). There was no consideration of availability of raw materials, nearness to market, availability of labour and other factors for location of the industry.

There was also no consideration of economic, technological, managerial and other feasibility factors before sitting the industry not to talk of monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the project. So if monitoring and evaluation are not adequately carried out, it becomes a developmental problem. That is why up till today Ajaokuta Steel Industry remained an abandoned project. Other abandoned federal projects include DFFRI, NDE, and SAP etc.

These abandoned projects results to colossal waste of the Nation’s scarce resources, which invariably contributed to poor economic growth rates, low income per capital, technological backdrop and the failure syndrome, which Nigeria is still suffering now. It is also observed  that  many  projects  in  Nigeria  whose  viability  and feasibility were ascertained got stalled due mainly to shoddy monitoring and  evaluation on  the  part  of  executors who either lacked effective project monitoring and evaluation skill or that the promoters of such projects failed to heed the relevant reports of the executors at the appropriate time until it was too late. At the state level and in the South-Eastern region of Nigeria, government embarked on certain projects such as Guinea worm eradication in Ebonyi State, Anambra State Vegetable Oil Product in Nachi in Oji River Local Government Area and CCB in Okpara Avenue in Enugu State. Such project could not achieve any reasonable success because, we still have cases of Guinea worm diseases in Ebonyi State today while Anambra State Vegetable Oil Product in Nachi and CCB in Okpara Avenue in Enugu State land been abandoned. All the above problems are not unconnected mainly due to inadequate monitoring and evaluation.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of this study are:

1.     To identify the importance of monitoring and evaluation in the implementation of government intervention projects.

2.     To find out whether government monitors and evaluates government intervention project.

3.     To  establish  the  consequences  of  poor  monitoring  and evaluation of government intervention projects.

4.     To find out if poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation can cause project abandonment.

5.     To proffer solutions to the problems associated with poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation of government intervention projects.

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Based on the above objectives, the following research questions have been drawn as a guide for the development of the research work:

1.     What are the importance of monitoring and evaluation in the implementation of government intervention projects?

2.     Does   government   monitors   and   evaluates   government intervention projects?

3.     What  are  the  likely  consequences of  poor  monitoring  and evaluation of government intervention projects?

4.     Can poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation can cause project abandonment?

5.     What are the solution to the problems associated with poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation of government intervention projects?

1.5  HYPOTHESIS FORMULATION

The following hypotheses have been formulated to guide our study HO: Monitoring and evaluation are important in the  implementation of government intervention projects.

HI: Monitoring and evaluation are not important in the implementation of government intervention projects.

HO:  Government monitors and evaluates government intervention projects.

HI:  Government does not monitor and evaluate government intervention projects.

HO:  There are consequences of poor monitoring and evaluation of government intervention projects.

HI:   There are no consequences of poor monitoring and evaluation of government intervention projects.

HO:  Poor  or  inadequate  monitoring  and  evaluation  can  cause project abandonment.

HI:   Poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation cannot cause project abandonment.

HO:  There are solutions to the problems associated with poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation of government intervention projects.

HI:   There are no solutions to the problem associated with poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation of government intervention projects.

1.6  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study is significance because it will give an insight on the importance of monitoring and evaluation in the implementation of government intervention actually monitors and evaluates her intervention  projects.  It  will  help  to  find  out  or  establish  the

consequences of poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation of government implemented projects. The study is significant because it will help to proffer solutions to the poor or inadequate monitoring and evaluation of government intervention projects. The study will help future researchers in the development of their research works that are relevant in this study.

1.7  THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The  study  is  one  the  “Monitoring and  Evaluation as  Tools  for Achieving Success in the Performance of Government Intervention Projects”. (A regional survey). The region selected is the South- Eastern region of Nigeria which comprises Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Imo States. Mostly Igbo of Eastern Nigeria inhabits these areas.

1.8  DEFINITION OF TERMS

EVALUATION: Evaluation is concern with the effect and impact of a particular project on the beneficiaries.

GOVERNMENT: Government is the body of persons or institutions, which  make,  enforce  and  interpret  laws  of  any  given  state  or society.

MONITORING: Monitoring is a continuous review of an activity, project or programme during its implementation to assess its delivery.

PROJECT: A project is a sub-set of a programme. It can be seen as an undertaken that is done by a group of persons or individual to achieve a specific objective. It is a group of task to be performed to achieve a specific goal.

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