Factors Influencing The Status Of Agricultural Sector Coordination: A Case Of Agricultural Sector Development Support Projects In Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

The study was designed to analyze the factors influencing status of agricultural sector coordination in Kenya with specific objectives being; to assess the extent to which joint planning influences agricultural sector coordination, to examine the extent to which monitoring and evaluation influences agricultural sector coordination, to establish the influence of joint budgeting on agricultural sector coordination and to analyze the extent to which stakeholders involvement influences agricultural sector coordination in Nakuru County. The research findings and its recommendations are likely to help the agricultural sector projects and their stakeholders improve on their performance. This is likely to provide the necessary structures for setting and attaining sector objectives, monitoring and performance measurement. The research reviewed literature related to agricultural sector coordination. Among the major themes that were reviewed included literature on sector joint planning, monitoring and evaluation, joint budgeting and stakeholders’ involvement. The study made use of the network theoretical framework that focuses on interdependence among the actors within a sector. The study was carried out at the Agricultural Sector Development Support Programme, Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries, Nakuru County and used cross sectional, exploratory and descriptive methods. The study used qualitative methods of data collection. It also made use the non-probability sampling designs through which agencies in the identified institutions were purposively sampled. The study made use of both secondary and primary data. The data collected were qualitatively analyzed. The study findings revealed weak positive linear relationships between the independent variables and the dependent variable and that all the independent variables were not statistically significant at 0.05 level since their p value was > 0.05 except stakeholders’ involvement p=0.002. The findings also noted that 24% of the variance/influence in sector coordination could be predicated by the independent variables in the study as supported by the values of overall significant test (F=4152, p=0.007) which indicated significant relationships at 0.05 level. The study revealed concurrence of relationships in independent and dependent variables as discussed in the literature review. The study was successful in addressing the research objectives and research questions thus recommends; the establishment of agricultural sector stakeholders fora for interaction and information sharing, need to build capacity of sector institutions to engage fully in sector coordination and need to develop a framework of operation for all players in the sector