Governance and the performance of corporations in Uganda :a case of national water & sewerage corporation

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between governance and the performance of public corporations in Uganda taking the case of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) at Head Office in Kampala. The study was based on the following specific objectives; to investigate how transparency affects the performance, to examine the relationship between accountability and performance and to assess the effect of participative decision making on the performance National Water and Sewerage Corporation in Uganda. A case study design was used to conduct the whole research study. The study population was sixty (60) which included all the employees at NWSC at the Head Office, from which a sample of fifty (50) respondents was selected using purposive sample technique with the help of Krejcie and Morgan table ( 1970). Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources; primary data was collected using questionnaire and interview data collection instruments while secondary data involved review of already existing literature about the variables under study from research journals, NWSC reports, published research reports, textbooks, and government documents among others. Primary data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists where percentage frequency table were generated and interpretations made. Cross tabulation was done to ascertain the influence of governance components (transparency accountability and participative decision making) on performance;e of NWSC. ' . The findings of the study revealed that there w~ no full transparency in regard to honest, openness and reliability of information, accountability is not on a timely basis and not aU transactions are recorded. Decision making in Nwsc is carried out by top management and the lower staff are not fully involved in strategic decisions. The services and water provision of NWSC are only limited to big towns in Uganda, the quality of water is not 1000/o safe and there are delays in handling customer complaints, employees are not efficient evidenced by connection made and debtor collection. 'The Corporation's costs of operations are high. The study found that there is a positive correlation between governance components and performance of NWSC. The study contended with study findings and concluded that governance practices influence the performance of NWSC and the following recommendations were made; NWSC governing body should improve on information sharing and dissemination across all the board members and key s take holders, the process of bidding for contract of supply of goods and services should be open to the general public, staff responsible for funds/finances should on a timely basis make accountability of the funds allocated to them, decision making process should involve all key stakeholders, NWSC should establish mechanisms to enforce proper governance practices such as financial disclosure, honesty and transparency. The government of Uganda should increase of budget allocations/funds to NWSC and the corporation should re-design and strengthen further its good governance practices to ensure that there is property accountability of funds, honesty among the top management, transparency and participative decision making.