Stakeholder Engagement and Implementation of Youth Entrepreneurship Projects in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The unemployment rate in Kenya has risen over the years. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics report, of 2019, 5,341,182, or 38.9 percent of the 13,777,600 young Kenyans are unemployed (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 2019). The situation has worsened over the past 2 years as the economy has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the solution to this crisis is the adoption of entrepreneurship as an option to create self-employment and enable the youth to create an income that will enable them to survive during these hard times in the country. However, to build a strong pool of young people who can thrive in business, they need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to run successful businesses through collaborative efforts, participation, and engagement from different stakeholders. This study sought to determine the influence of stakeholder engagement on the implementation of entrepreneurship projects in Nairobi, Kenya. A cross-sectional research design was adopted. Questionnaires and a key informant interview guide were used to collect data. The study adopted a random stratified sampling method to achieve a total sample of 154 respondents consisting of marketers, course moderators, project implementation teams, project consultants, curriculum developers, technical developers, researchers, managers, top management, social media specialists, and accountants who were interviewed. The respondents were drawn from a population of 252 staff members and affiliates obtained from two entrepreneurship entrepreneurship projects implemented in Nairobi. Data was then cleaned and analyzed using SPSS & Excel to produce descriptive, correlational, and regression statistics that would indicate the extent, association, and influence of stakeholders’ engagement in the implementation of entrepreneurship projects. The coding and content analysis of qualitative scripts were analyzed and presented in prose form. The quantitative and qualitative data were then triangulated, and findings were presented in the form of tables and, and narratives. The study established stakeholders’ engagement in project planning, monitoring and evaluation, information sharing, risk management, and project leadership influence the implementation of entrepreneurship projects. Results indicate a strong positive correlation (r=0.784) between information sharing and project implementations implying that an increase in one unit of stakeholder’s engagement in information sharing increases the possibility of successful implementation of entrepreneurship projects by 78.4%. Additionally, Regression analysis reveals that stakeholder engagement in project planning, monitoring and evaluation, information sharing, and risk management has a statistically significant impact on the implementation of entrepreneurship projects in Kenya. Findings from the qualitative study indicate that information is power, and it unlocks the potential of every stakeholder allowing them to make an impact. Despite the positive correlation between project risk management and project implementation, descriptive results show that engagement of stakeholders in risk management aspects is moderately low (Mean=3.09). Discussions from key informant interviews validate the quantitative results citing reasons for lack of prioritization by management and team leaders. Stakeholders’ engagement in risk management is limited to risk identification, however, engagement in control and mitigation measures is limited. Results also indicate the need to improve stakeholders’ engagement in monitoring activities to foster successful implementation of such complex projects. Qualitative findings also highlight the gap in qualified risk management specialists and M&E qualified personnel to keep the stakeholders, especially the implementers, on the project status and be able to make any changes regarding the project in advance.