Dissertation (MA Public Administration)The study focused on factors influencing staff retention in public organisations and NGOs in Tanzania using Mbeya Urban as a case of study. The specific objectives of the study were to assess the status of staff retention in Public organisation and NGOs, to identify the factors and impact of employees‟ turnover in Public organisation NGOs and to examine challenges of retaining employees in public organisation and NGOs. The cross-sectional study used both secondary and primary data. The sample consisted of 50 respondents including two Organisational Human resource officers and one Administrator. Data collection methods used were survey and interview. Tools used were questionnaire and interview guide. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS. The data were presented in frequencies and percentages in Tables and figures, mainly pie chart and bar graph for interpretation of the findings. The research finding indicates that the two organisations have tried to retain the staff using different mechanisms including motivational mechanisms to the staff members. It can be concluded that public organisations and NGOs have got positive processes that motivate employees to remain working with these organisations although the mechanisms that are used in those processes do differ in private organisations or NGOs with those of their counterparts, the public organisations in Tanzania. The study recommended that, Public organisations should try to adopt for the market-style mechanisms like performance-related pay into the public sphere. This will help employees to get motivated at work place as the private sector do as public employees are first and foremost motivated by job security and stability, while private employees‟ number one motivational factor is high salary.