Factors Influencing The Performance Of Agricultural Projects Funded By Eastern Community Development Programme ECDP) In Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

Over the last three decades, many agricultural projects have been developed in the country to try and address the food challenge in the country. As a result, a lot of money has been invested in those projects some from the tax payers’ money and other from donors. In spite of this, majority of the projects have failed even before they run for five years. In the light of this, the current study sought to establish the factors influencing the performance of agricultural projects funded by Eastern Community Development Programme (ECDP) in Machakos County. Specifically, the study sought to establish the Influence of Farmers’ Education Level, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Practices and Stakeholders’ Involvement On Performance of Agricultural Projects Funded by Eastern Community Development Programme in Machakos County. Theoretically, the study as founded on Human Capital Theory, Stakeholder Theory and Resource Based Theory. A descriptive research design was utilized to conduct the study. The target population was 261 respondents comprising of Machakos County officials, project managers, community leaders and Ministry of Agriculture officers in the 106 agricultural projects that are funded by Eastern Community Development Programme (ECDP) in Machakos County. A sample of 78 people was selected from the population using stratified sampling technique that was random in nature. Self-administered questionnaires that were administered by researcher were utilized to collect primary data. Quantitatively, the data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regressions whereas qualitatively the open-ended questions were analyzed using conceptual content analysis method. The multiple regressions established the link between variables. The data was presented inform of tables. The study found that it was to a great extent that literacy levels of project stakeholders led to better participation in the project activities. The study also recommends that stakeholders should be involved in management of the projects to enhance performance of the agricultural projects. It further recommends that the project team should monitor and manage most of the activities of agricultural projects field staff on yearly basis. In addition, it recommends that people who management projects should support project team adequately by offering them clear job designations and allocations that are expert-led, training them when necessary and supporting them in different ways. Furthermore, comparative studies should be carried out in other parts of the country to determine whether these findings could be generalized to other parts of the country.