Significance and implementation challenges of participatory monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programmes in local government authorities: Evidence from Iringa Region, Tanzania.

HIV/AIDS continues to affect people in resource-constrained countries, including Tanzania. In response to this, different HIV/AIDS programmes have been implemented in Tanzania, especially Iringa Region. In implementing such HIV/AIDS programmes, the role of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) cannot be underestimated. However, it is not clear to what extent PM&E has been integrated, which limits the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS programmes. This question has been interrogated following HIV/AIDS programmes implemented in Kilolo District in Iringa Region. The study involved 222 respondents, with 200 for quantitative data and 22 for qualitative data. Data were collected through structured interviews, in-depth interviews and documentary reviews and thematic analysis was employed for qualitative data, while descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data. Findings revealed that PM&E has the potential to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of HIV/AIDS programmes. However, PM&E faced diverse impediments, including weak stakeholder participation (67 %), inadequate financial resources (88 %), and insufficient PM&E skills among practitioners (70 %). Indeed, effective performance of HIV/AIDS programmes requires effective integration of PM&E to enhance the outcomes. Thus, more effort is needed during PM&E processes to increase inclusiveness among stakeholders and sharpen the skills of PM&E practitioners at the local government level.