Factors Influencing Sustainability of Food for Work Projects: Case of World Renew Program in Isiolo County, Kenya

Abstract

Achieving sustainability for most development projects, despite then being high cost projects has been a great challenge. As such, variables that predict the sustainability of FFW assets are a high priority in ensuring that sustainability of FFW assets is achieved. This study endeavored to establish the factors that influence sustainability of FFW created assets in Isiolo County Kenya. Despite FFW being extolled as a more efficient means of food aid compared to conventional methods of food distribution such as general food aid, sustainability of FFW projects has been discussed only most recently by World Vision and Canadian Food Grains Bank. This is also notwithstanding the fact that FFW has been in operation as a model of food aid for the past three decades with the earliest interventions being carried out in Ethiopia in the early 1980s. This study will serve to bridge the gap in knowledge in terms of addressing the factors that influence sustainability of food for work projects. There is a consensus among the development workers that for any project to meet its objective, it must be sustainable; examining sustainability of projects is of great significant because of the impact that is associated with terminating benefits but also because of the cost that is incurred during implementation of the project. This study therefore aimed at establishing the factors that influence the sustainability of FFW created assets. Factors influencing sustainability of FFW created assets were established using the following variables: Participation of the community in design and implementation of FFW, influence of capacity building of the community on the sustainability of FFW, influence of linkage of partner‟s development strategy to FFW on sustainability. It is hoped that the results of this study will be utilized in implementation of FFW projects with the view of enhancing sustainability of future projects. On research methodology, mixed method of research were employed in the study where both quantitative and qualitative studies were utilized .To form a framework for the study, a comprehensive review of literature was undertaken. The research targeted the 900 FFW beneficiaries in the Isiolo County as well as the implementers of the project. Simple random sampling of the beneficiaries was undertaken while the project implementers were sampled purposively. Following Yamane sampling formula a sample size of 90 was used. Primary data was collected by use of questionnaires as well as interviews. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics used to analyze the data where the Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyze the data. Following univariate analysis of the data odd ratio of the independent variables was calculated against sustainability, the researchers infers that the some of the variables have a significant association with sustainability of the projects. The variables with significant association were age of the beneficiaries, participation in problem analysis, identification of assets, working at the project site and capacity building of the community .Further ,multivariate analysis showed that none of these variables had a significant association to sustainability of the asset created by itself .From this ,the researcher infers that for sustainability of these projects to be achieved, the factors must be employed in complementarity rather as independent to each other.