Capacity Building and Sustainability of Early Childhood Development Projects: a Case of Path’s Early Childhood Development Project, Siaya County, Kenya

Abstract

Achieving sustainable projects has been a critical focus for numerous stakeholders involved in various initiatives. However, this objective has primarily remained unattainable, largely due to the need for more literature exploring how different factors in diverse contexts impact sustainable outcomes. Project sustainability challenges manifest in varied forms, including limited financial resources, inadequate human resources, poor governance practices, lack of stakeholder participation, and absence of strategic partnerships. The study was anchored on a general objective, which was to determine the influence of capacity building on the sustainability of early childhood projects in Kenya, with a specific focus on the PATH’s ECD program in Siaya County. The determinants investigated were resource mobilization, strategic partnership, human resource development, and Community engagement. The study was anchored on theories of sustainability, constraints, and systems theory. The study utilized a descriptive survey design. The target population was 2929, and the sample size was 352. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics, and the results are presented in tables. The findings indicate that resource mobilization strongly and significantly influences sustainability of ECD projects with correlation coefficients of (r=0.610; P0.000); strategic partnership formation is significant in influencing sustainability of ECD projects though weakly and positively with (r=0.239; P0.004); human resource development positively though weak but significant in influencing sustainability of ECD projects with correlation coefficients of (r=0.362; P0.000); community engagement positively though moderately enormously but significant in influencing sustainability of ECD projects with correlation coefficients of (r=0.476; P0.000). The study concluded that capacity building positively and significantly influences the sustainability of Early Childhood projects. The study recommended that capacity building be undertaken to ensure just the sustainability of the ECD projects.