Research Design and Methods Used

In order to answer the broad research question of how RBApps can be designed to contribute towards the achievement of Rwanda’s development goals, an empirical research question was established and assessed during the field study. Rwanda’s development goals are defined in Vision 2020 and the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy 2 (EDPRS 2) (2013-2018). The implementation of development goals, in accordance with the current EDPRS 2 and Vision 2020, is the major task for the districts. The DPA, Imihigo—in the form of performance contracts between the national and subnational level—aims at supporting the implementation of development goals. Thus, the achievement of Rwanda’s development goals depends to a high degree on the subnational level. More specifically, to gain insights on our broad research question, it is important to first assess the empirical question of how Imihigo, as an RBApp, is designed to contribute towards the achievement of Rwanda’s development goals.

Imihigo is a relatively new topic in the academic literature. Currently, only a few documents exist that provide further insights on the DPA (Chemouni, 2014; McConnell, 2010; Purdekova, 2011; Rwiyereka, 2014; Scher, 2010; Versailles, 2012). Therefore, the study has an explorative approach and adds value through the provision of an overview of the Imihigo concept itself.

To answer the empirical research question, a qualitative research design was applied. The study was conducted between November 2014 and May 2015 and included a three-month field study in Rwanda from mid- February until the end of April 2015.⁷ During the field study, explorative as well as semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with government officials at different tiers of government and development partners working in Rwanda.⁸ The following interview types were conducted and the following interviewees were consulted:

• • Explorative as well as semi-structured interviews were held in Kigali, Rwanda, with relevant Rwandan government organisations (Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), the Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA),⁹ the Rwandan Governance Board (RGB), the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC)) as well as with international development partners (members of the sector working group decentralisation) and other stakeholders (think tanks, NGOs, academics).
• • Semi-structured interviews were held with the district executive committee (mayor, vice-mayor for economic affairs, vice-mayor for social affairs, executive secretary), the director of planning, a member of the district council, the permanent secretary of the Joint Action Development Forum (JADF) and the education officers¹⁰ in the four selected districts of Nyaruguru, Karongi, Musanze and Rwamagana.

During the stay in the districts, field visits were conducted to observe and verify implemented Imihigo activities in the form of local infrastructure activities in education in one or two sectors (Umurenge) per district. All gathered data was analysed using a structured qualitative content analysis with a deductive coding scheme (Mayring, 2010, p. 77).

The district selection for the field study was based on a purposeful sampling strategy: criterion sampling. Using this strategy, two criteria defined the sampling process. The first selection criterion was the district’s poverty rate, as understood in the third Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV3Karongi, 2012, p. 61; GoR, 2012b).¹¹ Poverty was chosen as the first criterion because it represents Rwanda’s development goals on the impact level—reducing poverty to 20 per cent and transforming Rwanda into a Middle Income Country (MIC) by 2020 (GoR, 2012c, p. 6). Additionally, poverty rates reflect the regional differences with regard to geography; ethnic and demographic composition of the population; economic development as well as governance. The second selection criterion was average performance of the districts, as assessed in the District Imihigo Evaluations between fiscal years 2009/2010 and 2013/2014 (GoR, 2010, p. 7; 2011b, p. 11; 2012a, p. 12; 2013, p. 22; 2014, pp. 28-29).¹² This criterion was chosen in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the DPA, Imihigo. More specifically, the inclusion of this criterion possibly allows for identifying success factors as well as challenging aspects related to the concept. The aim was to find four cases in two extreme dimensions—high and low—at each selection stage. The four cases should thereby not be seen as pre-defined explanatory patterns, but as information-rich cases offering detailed information and reflecting the diversified reality in Rwanda.

To find suitable cases, the three districts of the City of Kigali (Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, Gasabo) were excluded because they are considered as being exceptional. Then, all remaining districts were mapped according to the two dimensions. The mapping and corresponding ranking is presented in Table 1.1

The four selected districts at the extremes are presented in a matrix in Table 1.2.

Table 1.1 District sampling method

Explanation:

Districts of Kigali, excluded from the sampling Five extreme cases in lowest and highest poverty rates

? Selected district due to good performance Selected district due to bad performance

Source-. EICV3Karongi (2012, p. 61); GoR (2010, p. 7; 2011b, p. 11; 2012a, p. 12; 2013, p. 22; 2014, pp. 28-29)

Table 1.2 Selected districts

Source: Authors

Fig. 1.1 Poverty rates in the 30 districts in Rwanda Source: EICV3Karongi (2012), p. 188

Figure 1.1 depicts the geographical distribution of the selected districts as well as corresponding poverty rates from the EICV3.