Coaching and Organizational Performance in Rwandan Local Government Entities: Assessing Effects of Coaching Programs between 2016 and 2019 in Rwamagana District

Abstract

Coaching is considered as a great tool for employees in any organization to understand the goal so as they can work towards it which turns into good performance of the organization. Coaching program was introduced in Rwandan local government entities to see whether employees can improve on these entities’ performance regarding performance contract Imihigo. The present paper intends to study effects of coaching programs in the Imihigo region of Rwamagana district. Researchers applied a case study research design through which a case study was selected and qualitative data were then collected. Information collected by the use of interviews and the content from documents was thematically analysed. The GROW (goals, reality, options and will) model was considered as a theoretical guide for the study. The total of 108 Local government employees from Rwamagana district was the target population from which 85 employees were purposively selected. Saturation was applied as a sample elements selection technique. The findings of the paper showed that there are positive effects of coaching programs on the good performance of Rwamagana district in “Performance Contracts” termed as Imihigo. It was revealed that, there are changes manifested due to collaboration existing between the Coaching Program and Local Government institutions in the budgetary years 2017-2019 when this approach was implemented in all Districts. Coaching interventions administered on organization employees showed their influential effects in performing very well in Imihigo contract of Rwamagana district. Based on the aforementioned findings, the study concluded that the coaching intervention, among other factors, was identified as an agent of significant effects manifested in three consecutive financial years towards better performance of Imihigo of Rwamanagana district. As suggestions to central, local government and partners, there is a need to undertake coaching initiatives to continue enhancing local government entities’ capacity to effectively deliver to their mandate. The national, local government and stakeholders must raise enough money to sustain the implementation coaching approach since it proved to be of importance for local governments. Recipients of the program are supposed to also make the program theirs for its effectiveness and sustainability.