Stakeholder Participation and Performance of Family Planning Projects in Kenya: a Case of the Advanced Family Planning Project in Community Pharmacies in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

This research inquest was to establish the influence of stakeholder participation and performance of family planning projects in Nairobi Kenya. The research used a case of the Advanced Family Planning project in community pharmacies in Nairobi County. The project was rolled from 2020 in Kenya to introduce injectables in community pharmacies. Stakeholder participation has increasingly become a key element in project development and implementation. Stakeholders inform policy developments and guidelines in projects, hence their participation is crucial. Family planning uptake in Kenya is currently below the target of 2 children per couple, therefore more needs to be done to improve this situation. Descriptive survey was applied as the research design in data collection on stakeholder participation and performance advanced family planning project in community pharmacies in Nairobi, Kenya. The research was carried out on a study population of 110 respondents among them pharmacy superintendents, project officers, supervisors and managers. A census was done using a questionnaire for pharmacy superintendents and project officers and a key informant guide for the supervisors and managers. The study showed that stakeholder participating in project identification, project implementation, project planning, and project tracking and evaluation has a positive significant influence on performance of family planning projects. Data analysis concluded that stakeholder participating in the project cycle indeed impact on performance of family planning projects to a very great extent. In health projects and specifically family planning projects, participation of stakeholders at the grassroots among them pharmacists in community pharmacies has proved beneficial in reaching the masses who have unmet needs for modern birth control. The move has solved issues of long distances to the clinics and waiting long hours for service, hence time saving. Many women are given easier access to family planning commodities. In addition women go home with a family planning method of their choice. The recommendation made herein is the introduction of more family planning methods to the grass root especially in the community pharmacies. Additionally, stakeholders should be brought on board during the project cycle in family planning projects to enable all women with unmet needs for family planning to have easier access of family planning methods of their choice.