Challenges that hinder the effective implementation and use of the Public Employees Performance Management Information System (PEPMIS) in performance management at Kinondoni Municipal Council, Tanzania

Abstract

The Public Employees Performance Management Information System (PEPMIS) was launched in Tanzania in 2024 to supersede the Open Performance Review and Appraisal System (OPRAS) and to digitise performance appraisal across the public service. Its intended gains, however, depend on whether the institutional and infrastructural conditions in which it operates are conducive to its use. This study examined the challenges that hinder the effective implementation and use of PEPMIS in performance management at Kinondoni Municipal Council. A case study design with a mixed methods approach was adopted, guided by Goal-Setting Theory. Five implementation challenges were treated as independent variables, namely unreliable internet connectivity, inadequate training, weak supervisory capacity, limited access to devices and difficulty of system navigation, while the effective implementation and use of PEPMIS in performance management, operationalised through perceived fairness of the appraisal process and the transparency and accuracy of the performance data recorded in the system, was treated as the dependent variable. Quantitative data were collected from 150 purposively selected employees across four departments using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) through frequencies, percentages, means (M) and standard deviations (SD). Qualitative data were obtained from 20 key informants through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. The dependent variable stood at only a moderate level (M = 3.36; SD = 1.06), with fairness at 3.39 and transparency and accuracy at 3.32, and with the lowest ratings recorded on freedom from bias (M = 2.84) and freedom from errors and manipulation (M = 2.88). By contrast, the five implementation challenges were rated as severe (M = 3.91; SD = 1.00), led by unreliable internet connectivity (M = 4.27; 88.0 per cent agreement) and inadequate training (M = 4.00). The inverse pattern between the two sets of variables, corroborated by the qualitative accounts, indicates that the infrastructural, capacity and supervisory constraints depress the fairness, transparency and accuracy that PEPMIS was designed to deliver. The study concludes that the shortfall is systemic rather than one of connectivity alone, and recommends a council-level digital readiness assessment, offline data-capture capability, a restructured and continuous training regime including mandatory certification for supervisors, and a strengthened governance and data-quality framework.