Stakeholder Participation and Sustainability of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Projects in Mount Elgon Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

Most1 projects are1 customized in project1 management. Hence, 1successful accomplishment1 of the1 projects requires1 stakeholder1 participation. Moreover, the1 management of1 stakeholder’s participation in OVC projects is1 receiving more1 concentration in1 practice. The purpose1 of the study1 was to establish1 the influence1 of stakeholder1 participation on1 sustainability of1 OVC projects1 in Mount Elgon Sub-County. The sought objectives were; to determine the influence of stakeholder participation in needs assessment on1 sustainability of1 OVC projects1 in Mount Elgon Sub-County; to establish influence of stakeholder participation in project planning on sustainability of1 OVC projects1 in Mount Elgon Sub-County; to examine influence of stakeholder participation in resource mobilization on1 sustainability of1 OVC projects1 in Mount Elgon Sub-County; and to assess influence of stakeholder participation in monitoring and evaluation on the sustainability of OVC projects in Mt Elgon Sub County. The two grounding theories were; Freeman’s stakeholder theory and resource-based theory. The study employed a descriptive survey1 research design with a target population1of 176 and a sample size of 122 stakeholders. The study was conducted in Mount Elgon Sub-County. The1 study incorporated 1both quantitative and1 qualitative methods1 of data1 collection. The study1utilized questionnaires, and1 key informant interview1 schedules as the1 main tools for1 collecting data. The1 questionnaires were1pre-coded1 to ease1 data entry. Quantitative1 data was analyzed1 using SPSS1 to obtain1 frequency distributions, percentages, mean and standard deviations while Qualitative1 data was analyzed thematically1 and descriptively. The study findings delineates that stakeholder participation in needs assessment is significant in influencing sustainability of OVC projects in Mt Elgon Sub County with correlation coefficients of (r=0.623; P0.000) and composite mean and S.D 3.29; 1.353; stakeholder participation in resource mobilization is significant in influencing sustainability of OVC projects in Mt. Elgon Sub-County with (r=0.266; P0.004) correlation coefficients of and composite mean and S.D 2.93; stakeholder participation planning is significant in influencing sustainability of OVC projects in Mt Elgon Sub County with correlation coefficients of (r=0.572; P0.000) and composite mean and S.D 3.31; 1.388; and stakeholder participation in M&E is significant in influencing sustainability of OVC projects in Mt Elgon Sub County with correlation coefficients of (r=0.380; P0.000) and composite mean and S.D 2.79 1.392. The study concluded that stakeholder participation significantly influences sustainability of OVC projects. The study subsequently recommended that stakeholder participation should be comprehensively undertaken during implementation of OVC projects in order to enhance their sustainability.