Background Public sector organisations operating under decentralised governance systems increasingly rely on change management strategies to enhance employee performance. Limited empirical evidence explains how specific change management strategies influence employee performance within local governments in developing country contexts. This study examined the relationship between change management strategies and employee performance in Kasese and Kabarole District Local Governments in Western Uganda, drawing on Complexity Theory and Public Policy Theory to conceptualise performance as an outcome of interacting behavioural, motivational, and systemic forces within public institutions. Methods The study adopted a convergent parallel mixed-methods design that integrated descriptive and correlational quantitative approaches with qualitative case study and phenomenological inquiry. The target population comprised 252 permanent district employees, from whom a sample of 155 respondents was selected using Yamane’s formula. Quantitative data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 28. Qualitative data were generated through unstructured interviews. Pilot testing was conducted in Mitooma District to ensure instrument validity and reliability. Results Regression analysis demonstrated that change management strategies had a statistically significant positive effect on employee performance (B = 0.262, Beta = 0.441, t = 6.080, p
Asiimwe et al. (Tue,) studied this question.