Abstract:
This study investigated the usage of OPRAS as a tool of improving
individual accountability in local governments of Tanzania focusing on Kinondoni
Municipal Council. The study wanted to realize three specific objectives namely; to
assess perception of employees on the usefulness of OPRAS as a tool of improving
individual accountability, to examine awareness of employees on the potential
benefits of OPRAS as a tool of improving individual accountability and to find out
the challenges facing usage of OPRAS improving individual accountability. The
samples of 100 employees comprising 40 teachers, 20 health workers, 10 trade
union representatives, 5 heads of departments/units and 25 administrative staff were
given questionnaires. The study employed quantitative data analysis method using
descriptive statistics. The analyzed data were presented by the means of frequency
tables and charts. The finding results revealed that 86.0% of all employees perceived
that OPRAS was the usefulness tool of improving individual accountability in the
Council. Again, it was found that all employees participated in the study (100.0%)
were knowledgeable about OPRAS due to in-house training and involvement in
OPRAS exercises and 98.0% of them agreed that they were signing OPRAS forms
with their immediate supervisors. The challenges facing the usage of OPRAS
improving individual accountability included inadequate participation of supervisors
and feeling of unfairness of OPRAS results among employees. The conclusion
drawn by this study was that the reasons behind lack of participation, resistance and
reluctance among employees in OPRAS were inadequate participation of
supervisors which created difficulties among employees in implementing OPRAS
and feeling of unfairness of the consequences of poor performance results. The
researcher recommends among others that in order to ensure that OPRAS
contributes in improving individual accountability in the Council, the supervisors
must ensure that they participate fully in OPRAS and remove the mentalities of
unfairness on the consequences of OPRAS among employees through compliance
with rules, regulation and guidelines governing implementations of OPRAS.
