Determinants for the performance of youth development projects in Kenya a case of Meru youth service project Meru county, Kenya

Abstract

Youth development, being a wide concept that acknowledges the three essentials of human development paradigm that are; potential to live a lengthy and healthy life, to gain awareness and to have accessibility to resources required for a decent living standard, has been embraced by several countries across the world. There are several projects that have been initiated to try and eradicate the challenges facing the youth. Some of these projects end up performing poorly and thus the problem remains prevalent. The aimed of the study was to investigate the determinants for the performance of the youth program in Meru. Descriptive research design was used with an aim of assessing a sample at a time without manipulation. Target population was 986 people comprising of former recruits, staff and management. Inferential statistics through stratified random sampling was used to arrive at a sample of 90 respondents. Questionnaire was then used to collect data from the respondents. To improve accuracy of the instrument Pilot testing was conducted using 10 questionnaires repeated until all the vagueness was eliminated. The validity and reliability were tested by statistically formulating items in the instrument by considering set objectives and test-retest respectively. The data was analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics then presented through frequencies, means, standard deviations and percentages aided by SPSS version 21 and presented in tables. The study found that an increase in one unit of capacity building and leadership skill had significant influence on in project performance at 0.831 and 0.944 p-values respectively. Further, use of technology, financial management and project funding had a significant influence on project performance by 1.106 and 1.819 units respectively. The study further established that capacity building, leadership style, use of technology and resource allocation influence up to 72.8 of the performance of the Youth Service Project in Meru County. The research recommended that project officers receive at least basic training in project management as a way to enhance their capacity. There is also a need to seek alternative sources of funds and resources such as approaching donors for funding. The results of the study will inform policy makers and stakeholders on the need to importance of technology, benefits of capacity building, value of leadership and consequence of adequate funding on performance of youth projects. The researcher recommends that a study be conducted to investigate the impact of donor funding on the youth project and the determinants of the funding. Influence of youth project on the community and national development.