Directorate of Strategic Planning and Performance Contracting

The University of Eldoret’s Strategic Plan (2014-2019) set the strategic goals and objectives that University will pursue within the five years of the Plan period. During this period, there will be need for requisite growth especially in terms of infrastructural facilities and human capacity. The strategic objectives and outputs aim at fast-tracking the improvement and development of infrastructure as well as laying a firm foundation for effective and efficient service delivery in line with national aspirations articulated in various policy documents including the annual Performance Contracting and Kenya Vision 2030.

The Directorate therefore, pays attention to its mandate to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the University of Eldoret’s strategic plan while taking into account internal and external factors that impact on its wellbeing and functionality. When these factors are addressed, the University will actualize its Vision,” To be a premier University that is globally visible in knowledge generation and technological innovations”. Through four Key Result areas namely: Students Enrolment and Academic excellence; Research and Innovation; Consultancy and Outreach; and Institutional Capacity. The objectives of the performance contract are drawn from the University of Eldoret (UoE) Strategic Plan and anchored on the Kenya Vision 2030, the Medium Term Plan II (MTP II) and the Sector Performance Standards (SPS).

The Directorate is answerable to the Vice-Chancellor and in conjunction with the relevant units is responsible for providing objective performance contracting for staff and University Schools/units and make follow-up and monitoring mechanisms for the realization of the performance contracts, including reasons for non-achievement. In line with this, the University has ensured that performance targets progressively approach and/or exceed the levels set out in the MTP II and fully aligned to the budget. The University has used the Sector Performance Standards (SPS), as far as possible, for the purpose of benchmarking its key result areas. The performance targets are cascaded to all levels of staff through the performance appraisal system.

Performance Contracting Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Devolution and Planning, Division of Performance Contracting, provide guidance in the process of implementing Performance Contracts in the University with an ultimate objective of ensuring that performance is measured using international best practices and that performance targets are grown to the extent of placing the country on the cutting edge of global competitiveness

Further still, through the performance reporting requirements, the University submits its quarterly and annual performance reports to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, The National Treasury, Division of Performance Contracting in the Ministry of Devolution and Planning and Inspectorate of State Corporations.

In the last evaluation exercise, there was a marked general improvement in performance in all categories of the PC-FY2014/15. It was noted from the low uptake of tenders by Youth, Women and Persons with Disability presented a challenge. This lead to a “Good” score in the Youth, Women and Persons with Disability empowerment indicator. The evidence and supporting documentation was very well organized, credible, authenticated and verifiable. Challenges and weaknesses were mainly exogenous in nature.

Figure 1.Composite score for UoE from FY2011/2012 to FY2014/2015.

In view of the above, the University achieved a Composite Score of 2.3566 in the 11th cycle that translates to “Excellent” compared to that of 3.3866 that translated to Good in the 9th cycle, and a composite score of 3.0812, achieved in the 8th cycle. The performance 11th cycle was excellent and could be attributed to the amount of time and resources spent on putting in place governance structures and capacity building and many other activities that may have previously hindered the complete implementation of some indicators in the PC.