Practice and challenges of project monitoring: The case of PATRP-Meter to Cash project

Abstract

Power Africa Transaction and Reforms Program was a 5- year program from May 2014- May 2019 funded by the USAID to add more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation across sub-Saharan Africa and 60 million new home and business connections. The program was implemented by Tetra Tech ES Inc who resides in the United States of America. (USAID, 2016). The program aims to enhance energy security, promote economic growth, and reduce poverty. Power Africa’s goal is to add more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity and 60 million new home and business connections. The study emphasizes on the assessment of practice and challenges of project monitoring on the PATRP meter to cash project Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The purpose of this research is to measure this practice and challenges. This thesis follows the descriptive methodology to do analysis of practice and challenges of project monitoring. A questionnaire was distributed to 9 staff that participated on the project. 9 respondents filled in and returned the questioner accurately. The data is analyzed using SPSS and interpreted in percentage, and frequency. The outcomes of this study shows that: majority of the respondents (88.8%) confirm encountered challenges such as inadequate baseline data and policy/legal. They cope with the challenges with methods such as, allocating budget for M&E and limiting M&E activities. This research overall indicates that whereas the organization has good M&E practice they also encounter various challenges when executing M&E activities. The implications of the study and relevant recommendations is forwarded in this study.