Effects of application of project management cycles strategy on the success of youth projects: a case of youth enterprise development funded group projects in Nakuru North district, Kenya

Abstract

The project cycle management provides a structure to ensure that stakeholders are consulted and relevant information is available throughout the life of the project so that informed decisions can be made at key stages on the life of a project. Youth need to be empowered in the use of PCM through the promulgation of a participatory process. Studies have shown that detailed planning saves an enormous amount of time and resources in the long run. This study therefore sought to establish the effects of PCM strategy on the success of youth group projects in Nakuru North District. The specific objectives for the study were; to find out the effects of project identification and initiation on the success of youth group projects in Nakuru North District, to determine the influence of project planning on the success of youth group projects in Nakuru North District, to find out the role of project implementation procedures on the success of youth group projects in Nakuru North District, to find out the role of monitoring and evaluation on the success of youth group projects in Nakuru North District.

To achieve the objectives, a descriptive survey of was carried out in Nakuru North District over a period of eight weeks. The target population was 30 youth group projects funded by Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) between 2008-2010. All the 30 groups were involved in the study. In each group three group officials were purposively selected giving a population of 90 respondents. Semi structured questionnaires were used to collect data from the respondents. Data was then analysed using percentages, frequencies, mean and Pearson Correlations to test relationship this was aided by statistical package for social scientists (SPSS version 11.5). The findings, ~~w~presented in tables.

The findings revealed, that majority of the group meIhR~~ﾧ:(63.3%, 56.7%, 51.1%, 57.8%) indicated that they strongly agreed to have performed project planning and initiation processes, A positive Person correction (0.204, 0.171 and 0.469) was established between project identification and initiation processes and indicators of project success which were; sales of group projects, profits margins, and number of people employed respectively. Also most of the respondents (64.4%, 46.7%) applied planning processes. Also a positive correlation (0.217, 0.301, 0.217 and 0.279) was also revealed between project planning processes and indicators of project success which were; number of people employed, profits, rate of production and sales respectively.

Contrary, most ofthe respondent (40%,41%) disagreed to have done implementation processes even though there was a positive correlation of the same (0.400, 0.156, 0.178) to reflect number of employees, profits and sales respectively as indicators of project success. Also (43.3%, 44.4%) did not apply planning and monitoring processes despite a positive Pearson correlation (0.162, 0.075, 0.260, 0.174) of sales of group projects, rate of production, profits and number of employee respectively. The study recommends that specific trainings needs ofthe youth and especially group leaders need to be done by the Ministry of youth and other stakeholders to ensure that youth get the skills that are necessary for them to mange projects and lead others. Specifically youth need to be capacity build on the implementation and monitoring and evaluation of their projects. The study recommends that another study to be undertaken on other factors affecting success of youth group projects other than the application of project cycle management.