MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEMS AND PERFORMANCE OF URBAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: A CASE OF TOWN COUNCILS IN JINJA DISTRICT, EASTERN UGANDA

Purpose: The study investigated the relationship between Monitoring and Evaluation systems and performance of Urban local governments in Jinja District of Eastern Uganda. Specifically, the study focused on establishing the relationship between M&E systems inputs, M&E systems process, M&E systems outputs and performance of Urban local governments in Jinja District. Methodology: The study used a cross sectional study design employing both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The population (112) of the study consisted of the Town clerks, Political leaders and Town council employees to which simple random sampling was applied. Quantitative data was collected from a sample of 76 respondents using researcher administered questionnaire. Responses were rated on a 5-Likert scale and analyzed for descriptive and inferential statistic using SPSS software presented in tables. Qualitative data was collected from 10 key informants using interview guides analyzed using content analysis and presented as text. Findings: Correlational analysis revealed that a significant and a strong positive linear relationship between performance of urban local governments in Jinja District and M&E systems inputs (r= 0.730**, p < 0.05), M&E system process (r= 0.814**, p < 0.05) and M&E system outputs (r= 0.739**, p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed a significant and positive influence of M&E system inputs (β=-.203, p=.001, <0.05), M&E system process (β=.071, p=.001, <0.05) and M&E system outputs (β=.315, p=.000, <0.05) on the performance of urban local governments in Jinja District. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: There are weaknesses in the M&E systems in urban local governments in Jinja District in terms of failure to track results despite the huge investments in area of M&E. Therefore, there is need to strengthen the M&E systems of urban local governments in Jinja district by; placing trained M&E human resource; developing M&E frameworks and developing costed M&E work plans Future studies should examine the perception of local government employees on the institutionalization of M&E system in the public sector of Uganda.

Management practice: ontology, structure, content

There is a need to present the results of a search study in the field of management science ontology to highlight its practical attributes. The study of domestic and foreign developments in the field of management of economic systems, management based on system, process and functional approaches allowed us to identify, form and describe the attributes of management practice. At the same time, materials on the structuring, classification and use of management activities from various points of view were used. Based on these generalizations, the interaction of attributes of the management practice of processes and objects in social and economic environments was established. The structure and content of the practice section of management ontology are presented and its relationship with other sections of management science is shown. This research is valuable for research, educational, social and educational activities of processes and objects of economic systems of various types and forms of ownership.

Transcriptional Response in the Digestive Gland of the King Scallop (Pecten maximus) after the Injection of Domoic Acid

Some diatom species of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia produce the toxin domoic acid. The depuration rate of domoic acid in Pecten maximus is very low; for this reason, king scallops generally contain high levels of domoic acid in their tissues. A transcriptomic approach was used to identify the genes differentially expressed in the P. maximus digestive gland after the injection of domoic acid. The differential expression analysis found 535 differentially expressed genes (226 up-regulated and 309 down-regulated). Protein–protein interaction networks obtained with the up-regulated genes were enriched in gene ontology terms, such as vesicle-mediated transport, response to stress, signal transduction, immune system process, RNA metabolic process, and autophagy, while networks obtained with the down-regulated genes were enriched in gene ontology terms, such as response to stress, immune system process, ribosome biogenesis, signal transduction, and mRNA processing. Genes that code for cytochrome P450 enzymes, glutathione S-transferase theta-1, glutamine synthase, pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 2, and sodium- and chloride-dependent glycine transporter 1 were among the up-regulated genes. Therefore, a stress response at the level of gene expression, that could be caused by the domoic acid injection, was evidenced by the alteration of several biological, cellular, and molecular processes.