Technical monitoring management systems and performance of child protection projects; a case of non-governmental organizations in Borno State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Project performance and efficiency of Non-Governmental Organisations around the globe and in particular from the developing economies - Nigeria included - are of critical importance not only for Non-Governmental Organisations only but also for Donor communities, leading to value addition towards soliciting for more funding. Considering the ever-fast rate of project activities implementation, it is important for every organization to establish a smooth flow of relevant information and coordination of project activities. Project oriented organizations and their effectiveness largely depend on the success of their projects. Incorporation of technical management systems is cost intensive, but the returns brings significant impact on project success. It is in line with this fact that this study assessed the influence of monitoring and evaluation technical management systems on project performance of child protection organizations in Borno State, Nigeria. The study’s specific objectives are to determine the influence of software management systems on project performance of child protection organizations, examine the influence of mobile networking systems on project performance of child protection organizations, and find out the influence of information database systems on project performance of child protection organizations in Borno state, Nigeria. The study was conducted through an exploratory research design. The study was conducted in Borno state Nigeria with a target population of 46 Project Managers, 63 Child Protection Officers and 39 M&E Officers from thirty-nine (39) child protection organisations in Borno state. A purposive sampling technique was utilized in the selection of the study respondents who provided the information required in this study and the sample size was 108 respondents. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from respondents. Data gotten was analysed quantitatively through content and thematic analysis. This was aided by methodological triangulation as a means of compensating for the biases and possible limitations of the data collection methods employed. The data collected was analyzed through descriptive statistics with findings presented in tabular form with the inclusion of analytical interpretation narratives. Findings from this study shows that M&E technical management systems help manage project risks and hence increase the probability of a project performing well, as quality of the deliverables from projects is a key determinate of the projects performance which M&E technical management systems enhances. Furthermore, every organization aims to implement projects within the allotted budgets and M&E technical management systems supports this. This further shows that incorporation of M&E technical management systems have a positive influence on performance of child protection projects in Borno state Nigeria. Further study ought to be conducted on effectiveness of M&E technical management systems on performance of other projects outside of child protection in other parts of the country. This will improve the body of knowledge provide by pronging more understanding on how the different M&E technical management systems affect performance of non-governmental organizations.