The Effects Of Decentralized Governance System On Primary Teachers’ Personnel Management Functions In Mukono District, Uganda

Abstract

It was prompted by the observations that primary teachers’ personnel services were being mismanaged in Mukono District under the decentralized governance system. This study was conducted to establish the effects of decentralized governance system on the management of teachers’ personnel services, namely: recruitment, retention and retirement. The objectives of the study were to confirm whether: decentralized governance system limited teachers’ recruitments within the limits of the District boundaries, whether the system tampered with retention services of teachers and to establish and whether the system provided opportunities to the District to handle teachers’ retirement process for easy access to their gratuities. The study was conducted using a combination of survey and correlational designs. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, discussions and observation. A total of 434 respondents participated. These included 259 randomly selected teachers and other categories of participants who were purposively selected. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis

Findings indicate that during recruitment, many potential candidates were denied access to information about vacancies by the used mode of advertisement; that the District Service Commission selection mode and its membership rendered it ethnically and politically biased and hence inefficient. This greatly affected the management of teachers’ recruitment by denying many potential and more deserving candidates entry into the teaching service. It was further established that the number of stakeholders had greatly increased in the arena of teachers’ orientation and supervision without demarcation of roles resulting in poor orientation packaging and uncoordinated supervision. Compensation was found to be abused and performance appraisal lacked strategy. The retirement process involved much duplication and haphazardly handled at various levels making it difficult for teachers to access their gratuities to the extent that many of them missed getting their retirement packages. . Each of these instances rendered teachers’ management functions ineffective in Mukono District. From these findings, it was concluded that the structure still needs some improvement in order to achieve an acceptable and better balance pertaining to the relationship between the central government and the local authorities, especially in areas like resource sharing and personnel management.

The study therefore recommended that teachers’ recruitment be carried out in a more professional pattern and be handled by trained and meritoriously appointed board(s); that the roles of supervisors and monitors be demarcated and coordinated; and that school management committees be considered for transformation into more effective schools governing entities. Retirement process should be streamlined to give ample time to both the retiring teachers and the employer to adequately arrange for adjustment when they finally leave the formal employment. It was also recommended that a procedure be established to facilitate accessibility to terminal benefits. In case of perceived irregularities, a provision for appeal and redress be enacted. For strengthening of working partnership between teachers and political leadership in the District, research desks should be established at every sub-county level as a strategy for continuous review of the system. The Ministry of Local Government should also expand and strengthen its inspectorate machinery among its roles as a central and local government’s co-ordinator.