STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS IN KENYA:A CASE STUDY OF KENYA RED CROSS INTERGRATED COMMUNITY PROJECTS IN TANA RIVER COUNTY

Abstract

The study purpose is to examine the influence of stakeholders’ involvement on the sustainability of community projects in Kenya: A case study of Kenya Red Cross integrated community projects in Tana River County. The Kenya Red Cross Integrated Community Project in Tana River County is one such project. Specifically, the objective of the study is to assess the influence of project resource mobilization, project planning, project communication, and project monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability of integrated community projects. The study adopted a descriptive research design where a population of approximately 1419 stakeholders were involved. The study used Slovin Formula to extract a sample size of 312. Furthermore, stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques were used to pick the respondents. Data was collected using questionnaire via electronic means. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found out that resource mobilization, project planning and project communication and monitoring and evaluation influenced sustainability of community project albeit at a varying degree and that project resource mobilization, project planning, project communication, and monitoring and evaluation were statistically significant. Moreover, the study concluded that resource mobilization, project planning and project communication and monitoring, and evaluation influenced sustainability of community project. The study concluded that project planning and project communication were statistically significant and positively related. However, resource mobilization, monitoring, and evaluation depicted statistically significant and negative relationship. The study concluded that project resource mobilization had a significant influence on sustainability of community projects and negatively related. The study recommends project stakeholders to adopt a wide variety of resource mobilization tools, and establishment of key structures and developing framework to help facilitate the coordination of community-wide efforts as well as establishment of an effective and coordinated communication process involving all relevant agencies and individuals with interest in community projects.