Improving the current Staff Performance Appraisal System in Uganda Prison Service

Abstract

This study was based on an examination on the forms of performance appraisal system, challenges and the strategies to improve the current staff performance appraisal system as a management tool in the Uganda Prisons Service and was based on three objectives which were; to examine the forms of staff performance appraisal system in the Uganda Prisons Service, to analyze the challenges facing the effectiveness of the current staff performance appraisal system in the Uganda Prisons Service and to find out the strategies that can be used to improve effectiveness of the current staff performance appraisal system in the Uganda Prisons Service.

The study adopted cross sectional research design with a population study of 1,025 respondents and sample size of 285 respondents. The questionnaires were distributed to Uganda Prisons Service staff and partners who provided various opinions on the issue of effectiveness of the current staff performance appraisal system.

The study found out that those performance appraisal systems in Uganda Prisons Services are important for improving the level of employee performance as well as achieving the organizational; goals and objectives. Therefore, Uganda Prisons Services should have a consistent reward system that recognizes and remunerates good performance. When linking remuneration to performance, employees need to understand specific performance goals and how to achieve them. Negativity of the respondents on research objectives and lack of motivation to provide the necessary information, led to denial of important information. Further researcher need to be done to ascertain why there’s high attrition rates among the junior staff of Uganda Prisons Service.