Innovations in Monitoring and Evaluation Systems for Project Tracking: Applying Global Best Practices in Nairobi

Abstract

This paper examined how innovative monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems can improve the project tracking and service delivery in Nairobi City County in Kenya. Regardless of the increasing interest in evidence-based governance, the county has been struggling with the problems of inadequate coordination, insufficient technical capacity, and poor citizen engagement. The Results-Based Management (RBM) theory guided the study and conceptualizes monitoring and evaluation as key feedback loops of accountability and learning. The research was anchored on three objectives, which included to determine the impact of novel M&E tools in project tracking; to investigate the contextualization of global best practices in the governance systems of the city of Nairobi; and to assess the role that knowledge management and citizen participation play in the accountability and service delivery. A review of recent studies (2022-2025) from across Africa, Europe and Kenya included an assessment of both advances and deficiencies in the uptake of dashboards, geospatial tools, participatory frameworks and indicator alignment with the sustainable development goals. The research methodology was mixed, including surveys, interviews, focus groups and document analysis. A purposive sample of 50 respondents which included 20 county officials, 15 project implementers and 15 community representatives was chosen. Descriptive statistics, correlations and regression models were used to analyze quantitative data whereas thematic analysis was carried out on the qualitative data. Results indicated that dashboards and GIS had a significant effect on timeliness and accountability, which accounted 65.9% of the service delivery results variance. Citizen participation and knowledge management structures were good but were not systematically institutionalized. Interest insights revealed that the experience of Nairobi was similar to those of other African cities, where the global structures are partially embraced but limited by a lack of resources and technical issues. This paper finds that Nairobi ought to institutionalize the hybrid M&E frameworks of digital innovations and participatory mechanisms. Such policies like the adoption of RBM-based frameworks on a county-wide basis, the investment in digital capacity, and the implementation of structured citizen feedback platforms are suggested as the policy recommendations. Practically, the county should focus on training, inter-departmental coordination, and the digitization of citizen engagement to help improve accountability and sustainable service delivery.