Training programmes and employee performance in the public sector in Uganda: a case of the directorate of citizenship and immigration control

Abstract

This study examined the effect of staff training programs on employee performance in the public sector in Uganda taking a case study of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC). While the DCIC engaged in staff training programs especially during the past ten years, employee performance remains wanting. The unsatisfactory performance at the DCIC is majorly characterized by long customer queues, delayed service delivery and continued customer complaints. The study therefore sought to establish whether the staff training programs have had any effect on the performance of employees in the public sector – taking DCIC as a representative case study. A total of 205 respondents, including 110 employees, 9 key informants and 86 customers, participated in the study. A questionnaire and two structured interview guides were used to gather primary data. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed using pragmatic content analysis, (Trochim, 2006). The validity was ensured by using Content Validity Index (CVI) (Mugenda and Mugenda, 2003) while the reliability was established by using Cronbach Alpha Coefficient Test (Amin, 2005). The first study finding revealed that short term training courses had a moderate positive effect on employee performance at the DCIC. This meant that employee performance was quite wanting particularly in terms of the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the services delivered to the customers. The second finding confirmed that career enhancement techniques had a significant but weak positive effect on employee performance at the DCIC. The research results further established that both staff attitude and work environment had a significant positive relationship with employee performance at the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control in Uganda. The generated model ranked staff attitude, work environment as the highest contributors to employee performance followed by short term training programmes and career enhancement techniques respectively. On the basis of the findings, it was recommended that the working environment should be improved by first motivating staff with both equitable direct and indirect rewards and then facilitates them with the necessary equipment as priority. Then short term job related training programmes should be run using appropriate training techniques in effort to improve staff performance.