Influence of project design Orientations on sustainability of Water and Sanitation output-based Aid project by Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company, Kenya

Abstract

One of the major assurances of wellbeing and stable community is adequate access to water and sanitation. Increasing the population with majority living in low-income settlement areas in an urban environment where there is pressure on existing facilities is an inhibition to sustainable development. The leading causes of deaths in majority of the developing countries are inadequate supply of water and poor sanitation. Regardless of several initiatives of project implementation by government and other agencies, sanitation remains a problem especially in the low-income settlement areas with majority of water and sanitation projects stalling due to lack of community involvement, failure to adopt to new technologies, and lack of monitoring and evaluation practices. Thus, to meet water and sanitation challenges, the concept of sustainability forms the basis of this study. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of project design orientations to sustainability of water and sanitation output-based aid project by Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company. The study was based on four objectives; To assess how technological design orientation influence sustainability of water and sanitation output-based aid project by NCWSC; To examine the extend at which community participation design orientation influence sustainability of water and sanitation output-based aid project by NCWSC; To determine level at which collaboration and networking design orientation influence sustainability of water and sanitation output-based aid project by NCWSC ; and to assess how monitoring and evaluation design orientation influence sustainability of water and sanitation output-based aid project by NCWSC. The study employed descriptive survey design for in-depth analysis of the project design orientations that influence sustainability of water and sanitation projects. With a target population of 160 respondents from NCWSC project team and informal settlement department, and 84 respondents from the project beneficiaries, the research applied census method whereby all the members of population were used to give their responses. The study utilized questionnaires to the respondents from NCWSC, and focus group to the project beneficiaries. In analyzing data, the research utilized descriptive and inferential statistics methods using a statistical tool (SPSS V 21.0), and triangulation of the qualitative analysis. From the findings, the study established that there was a significant positive influence between technological design orientation, community participation design orientation, collaboration and networking design orientation, and monitoring and evaluation design orientation on sustainability of water and sanitation projects with correlation values of ( r=0.636, p< 0.05), ( r=0.690, p<0.05), (r=0.678,p<0.05), and (r=0.715, p<0.05) at a confidence level of 5% respectively . The study therefore recommends that monitoring and evaluation design orientation to be considered in the project budget, with availability of personnel for executing the monitoring and evaluation practices. The study also recommends for community participation design orientation in all stages of the project. Also, the study recommends for collaboration and networking of partners from local, national, and international in co-funding of water and sanitation projects, and technical expertise to enhance sustainability. And finally, adopting technology for use in the project that is user friendly for both the project implementers and beneficiaries and compatible with other systems to ensure sustainability. The study also recommends further studies on the influence of project design orientation on sustainability of water and sanitation projects in other regions in Kenya