Project Management Practices and Sustainability of Women Empowerment Peanut Project in Mumias West Ward, Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

The fifth sustainable development goal in Kenya focuses on but not limited to empowering women and girls. This has seen rise of economic development programs and empowerment projects seeking to get the women out of poverty and give them the capacity to participate equally in the labour force. Despite the efforts to empower women economically, their sustainability of women empowerment projects is not certain and less likely to survive and less likely to survive. It is in this line that this study seeks to assess the influence of project management drivers on sustainability of women empowerment peanut project in in Mumias West Ward, Kakamega County. It was guided by four objectives: to examine how capacity building influences the ,to determine the influence of stakeholder involvement on sustainability of women empowerment peanut project, to assess how resource mobilization influence sustainability of women empowerment peanut project, to establish how monitoring and evaluation influences sustainability of women empowerment peanut project and to investigate how combined project management practices influence sustainability of women empowerment peanut project. The study, guided by Resource Dependency Theory, involved 136 women from the women empowerment project with a sample of 101 using Yamane’s (1967) formula. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews, where piloting was done to 10 respondents at Navakholo while test and retest was conducted to ensure reliability. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics employed the use of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation while inferential used the regression model. Results showed that independent variables collectively contribute significantly {R² = 0.925, F(4,92)=283.093, p =0.000} in explaining the variance in sustainability of projects. Hence, the null hypotheses regarding the association between capacity building, monitoring, resource mobilization, stakeholder involvement, combined project management practices and project sustainability were rejected in favour of alternate hypothesis. In essence, capacity building and monitoring and evaluation were identified as critical elements for ensuring the sustainability of SWEPP in Mumias West Ward. However, to secure comprehensive and enduring project success, it is imperative to enhance stakeholder engagement and resource mobilization efforts which were inadequate. The study recommends improving financial management training, modern production methods, stakeholder involvement, resource allocation decision-making, and risk assessment practices. Integrated project management practices are vital for sustainability. The research aims to guide donors, organizations, future researchers, and policymakers in setting up effective projects. It emphasizes the importance of clear project objectives, time-bound goals, and comprehensive stakeholder engagement and provides insights for improving women empowerment projects.