Project Design Activities, Regulatory Environment and Performance of Community Based Conservation Projects in Kenya: a Case of Laikipia Region Conservancies

Abstract

The influence of project design activities on the performance of CBC projects and the moderating influence of regulatory environment on this relationship were investigated. Specifically, the researcher sought to establish whether scope determination, capacity building of project beneficiaries, monitoring and control and stakeholder engagement had influenced the performance of CBC projects. Further, the relationship of joint project design activities and the moderating influence of regulatory environment on that relationship were determined. The study was grounded on pragmatism and adopted a mixed method approach encompassing a cross-sectional survey design, focused group discussions and document analysis. By means of a multistage sampling that included a census of all CBC projects in the study area and stratified random sampling of the members, 270 respondents were sampled from a target population of 911 project members. Data were collected using questionnaires, group discussion and document review guides after the piloting of the instruments to guarantee validity and reliability. A response rate of 88.1 percent was realized and was deemed sufficient for this type of study. Data from the quantitative strand were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 25). The descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies, means and standard deviations while Pearson Product Moment Correlational Coefficient, and regression analyses were used as inferential statistical tests. Data from qualitative strand were analyzed using thematic analysis that involved the identification of aprioristic recurrent themes from the voices of the participants and the information in the reviewed documents. With r = 0.542, R2 = 0.294, F (1,237) = 97.788 at p = 0.05 it was concluded that scope determination had a significant positive influence on performance of CBC projects. Capacity building of project beneficiaries positively and significantly influenced the performance of CBC projects (r = 0.727, R2=.529, F (1,237) = 264.584 at p = 0.05). With r = 0.380, R2=.145, F (1,237) = 39.870 at p = 0.05, monitoring and control had a significant positive influence on performance of CBC projects. Moreover, the influence of stakeholder engagement was positive and significant since r = 0.641, R2 =.410, F (1,237) = 164.169 at p = 0.05. With r = 0.761, R2 = 0.579, F (1,237) = 324.486 at level of significance p = 0.05 it was concluded that joint project design activities had a significant positive influence on performance of CBC projects. In addition, with r = 0.281, R2 = 0.079, F (1,237) = 20.247 at p = 0.05, the influence of regulatory environment on the performance of CBC projects performance was positive and significant. Finally, it was found out that the influence of project design activities on the performance of CBC projects did not depend on regulatory environment. The study recommends that organizations implementing CBC should embrace holistic approach as joint project design activities had a stronger influence on CBC projects than individual project design activities. In addition, a clear and results oriented scope that links conservation and development and improvement of co-development of the capacity of CBC projects, traditional institutions are recommended due to the influence they have on CBC project performance. There is need for monitoring and control to focus on immediate objectives that need to be met if the long-term goals are to be fulfilled and outreach effective communication with local stakeholders, especially the local cultural institutions who retain indigenous ecological knowledge. Lastly, there is need to invest more in conservation law enforcement and seek synergies with national security organs to ensure that regulatory environment becomes an enabler of conservation projects.