Title:
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT FUNDING POLICY IMPLEMENTATION LEVEL AND OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN UGANDA

Authors:
Ninsiima Grace, Beatrice A. Abong’o and Benjamin Owuor Ombok, Kenya

Abstract:
Public universities in Uganda continue to experience operational challenges arising from inadequate financing, delayed government disbursement, declining enrollment, staffing shortages, and weak infrastructure development. Despite government reforms aimed at improving higher education financing through revised funding structures and enhanced accountability mechanisms, operational performance indicators in public universities remain low. This study examined the relationship between government financing policy implementation and operational performance of public universities in Uganda. The study was anchored on Resource Dependence Theory and Stakeholder Theory, which explain how external resource allocation and stakeholder influence shape institutional performance outcomes. A positivist philosophy and quantitative explanatory research design were adopted. Data were collected from 255 respondents drawn from a target population of 1,787 academic and administrative staff from selected public universities in Uganda. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection, while descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis, were used to analyze the data. Validity and reliability tests confirmed the suitability of the instruments, with a Content Validity Index of 0.817 and Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.814. Findings revealed that government financing policy implementation had a positive but statistically insignificant effect on operational performance (? = 0.138, p = 0.083). However, timely government disbursement and internally generated funds significantly influenced operational performance. The study concluded that financing policies alone are insufficient to improve operational performance unless accompanied by predictable funding disbursement and effective institutional financial capacity. The study recommends harmonized disbursement schedules, strengthened funding accountability mechanisms, and diversification of university revenue sources.