Niyonkuru Schiman

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to find out the influence of practicing monitoring and evaluation during the project cycle on sustainability of World Bank funded project. Specific objectives included: to determine the influence of partnerships in monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of a World Bank funded project; to determine the influence of communication in monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of World Bank funded project; to evaluate the role of accountability in monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of World Bank funded project and to establish the contributions of resource allocation for monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of World Bank funded project. The researcher used questionnaires to collect data, as far as this study was concerned, the population was comprised of employees of Rwanda urban development phase one in Musanze district in different departments targeting 125 people. To describe target population of the study as the point of focus from which a generalization was made regarding the research findings. Thus, a sample size of 125 employees as respondents was considered representative of the total population. I used primary and secondary data to get all information needed in this study, the quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics after running the data collected through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicated that 55 of respondents with 44% are strong agree that  partnerships in monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of World Bank funded project promotes beneficiaries’ awareness of objectives of M&E and participate in public activities, 60 of respondents with 48% are agree that partnerships in monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of World Bank funded project promotes beneficiaries’ awareness of objectives of M&E and participate in public activities while 10 of respondents with 8% are neutral about statement. 55 of respondents with 44% are strong agree that partnerships in monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of World Bank funded project creates a sense of ownership of the project for beneficiaries while 70 of respondents with 56% are agree that partnerships in monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of World Bank funded project creates a sense of ownership of the project for beneficiaries. 40 of respondents with 32% said that contributions of resources allocation for monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of World Bank funded project is to assign the resources during project implementation and 34 of respondents with 27.2% said that contributions of resources allocation for monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of World Bank funded project is to divide the project into tasks during project implementation. Following the discussions from the findings, monitoring and evaluation practices in all aspects of M&E of the project as well as it sustainability. This shows that even if Rwanda Urban Development Phase One in Musanze district ends its interventions, the beneficiaries can still continue the project’s activities for a long time without any assistance because their capacities have been built and strengthened through the various trainings and economic empowerments to ensure the project becomes sustainable. The overall involvement of the beneficiaries participatory in M&E has empowered them to find solutions to their problems and use the solution as a recommendation for planning for future activities. All institutions, both private and public, including for profit organizations, NGOs and international organizations should involve their beneficiaries’ participation and even the employees in M&E because it is believed that participation would lead to empowerment through capacity building, skills and training. By increasing the ability of people, projects and/or communities to be self-reliant, they are then able to contribute towards the sustainability of development projects which in turn contribute to the broader notion of sustainable national development.
Key words:  monitoring, evaluation, sustainability, project, accountability

The main purpose of this study Was to investigate the influence of project management skills on the project sustainability. This research was carried out to achieve the following specific objectives: To determine the influence of leadership skills on the sustainability of VUP in Burera district, To determine the influence of communication skills on the sustainability of VUP in Burera district, To assess the influence of problem-solving skills on the sustainability of VUP in Burera district. The study adopted the mix method research design. In data analysis the study used both descriptive (frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlations and regression analysis). In order to select the sample size, the researcher adopted census sampling technique with 53 respondents. The data was corrected by means of questionnaire then after while analyzing data derived from questionnaire SPSS software was helpful as it helped us to have mean, standard deviation, frequency and other required items that helped us to analyze and interpret information so that the researcher can get reliable findings. The analysis revealed significant correlations between the project management skills and project sustainability outcomes: Leadership Skills: The correlation coefficient between leadership skills and project sustainability was 0.705** (p < 0.01), indicating a strong positive relationship. Higher leadership skills were associated with improved project sustainability outcomes. Communication Skills: The correlation coefficient between communication skills and project sustainability was 0.942** (p < 0.01), indicating a robust positive relationship. Greater communication skills were strongly linked to enhanced project sustainability outcomes. Problem-Solving Skills: The correlation coefficient between problem-solving skills and project sustainability was 0.683** (p < 0.01), affirming a significant positive relationship. Strong problem-solving skills were correlated with better project sustainability outcomes. These findings suggest that project managers possessing higher levels of leadership, communication, and problemsolving skills are better positioned to ensure project sustainability. The study contributes to both academia and practice by shedding light on the critical competencies that drive projects toward lasting positive impacts. Organizational decisions related to project management training and skill development can benefit from these insights, ultimately fostering more sustainable project outcomes. Based on the findings, the study recommends the government of Rwanda to invest in Leadership Development to empower project teams to navigate challenges, inspire motivation, and foster a shared vision, ultimately contributing to the sustainable success of the VUP program.

The main purpose of this study Was to investigate the influence of project management skills on the project sustainability. This research was carried out to achieve the following specific objectives: To determine the influence of leadership skills on the sustainability of VUP in Burera district, To determine the influence of communication skills on the sustainability of VUP in Burera district, To assess the influence of problem-solving skills on the sustainability of VUP in Burera district. The study adopted the mix method research design. In data analysis the study used both descriptive (frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlations and regression analysis). In order to select the sample size, the researcher adopted census sampling technique with 53 respondents. The data was corrected by means of questionnaire then after while analyzing data derived from questionnaire SPSS software was helpful as it helped us to have mean, standard deviation, frequency and other required items that helped us to analyze and interpret information so that the researcher can get reliable findings. The analysis revealed significant correlations between the project management skills and project sustainability outcomes: Leadership Skills: The correlation coefficient between leadership skills and project sustainability was 0.705** (p < 0.01), indicating a strong positive relationship. Higher leadership skills were associated with improved project sustainability outcomes. Communication Skills: The correlation coefficient between communication skills and project sustainability was 0.942** (p < 0.01), indicating a robust positive relationship. Greater communication skills were strongly linked to enhanced project sustainability outcomes. Problem-Solving Skills: The correlation coefficient between problem-solving skills and project sustainability was 0.683** (p < 0.01), affirming a significant positive relationship. Strong problem-solving skills were correlated with better project sustainability outcomes. These findings suggest that project managers possessing higher levels of leadership, communication, and problemsolving skills are better positioned to ensure project sustainability. The study contributes to both academia and practice by shedding light on the critical competencies that drive projects toward lasting positive impacts. Organizational decisions related to project management training and skill development can benefit from these insights, ultimately fostering more sustainable project outcomes. Based on the findings, the study recommends the government of Rwanda to invest in Leadership Development to empower project teams to navigate challenges, inspire motivation, and foster a shared vision, ultimately contributing to the sustainable success of the VUP program.