Level of grassroots participation in sustainability of projects initiated by community based organizations in Madiany Division, Kenya

Abstract

The rise of grassroots participation is premised on perceived benefits that participation brings to community programs in terms of added efficiency, sustainability, and the collective community power. It is critical for social service professionals to gain the knowledge and skills to mobilize community members to join together and move from personal social concerns to collective concerns via organized grassroots actions.

However, the type of people who are likely to become involved in grassroots mobilization efforts, and the motives for such participation, vary based on the level at which they are involved in the community projects. The structures within CBOs that encourage this participation and the extent of participation in CBO project components have not been clear. The influence of grassroots participation on sustainability of the projects had also not been clear.

The purpose of this study was to further an understanding in the current practice in which community members participate in projects initiated by the CBOs and examine how this contributes to the sustainability of these projects in Madiany Division. The objectives of the study were to determine the extent at which characteristics of CBOs promote grassroots participation in projects initiated by CBOs; examine the extent of grassroots participation in selected stages of projects initiated by CBOs and assess the levels of grassroots Participation in sustainability of these projects.

This was a descriptive survey where both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect data. For quantitative data, simple random sampling technique was used to obtain the CBOs to participate in the study while purposive sampling was applied to get the respondents for the qualitative data. The major data collection instrument was the project assessment tool which assessed the level of participation in the selected stages of project management cycle .

The study found out that grassroots participation in CBO projects is stimulated by some characteristics of CBO and involve them differently at different stages of project management. The levels of grassroots involvement were also found to be different, depending on the perception of the community and the nature of projects being implemented. This study found out that grassroots participation encourages the community to learn and make informed decision on the implementation of the projects. This also enhances ownership and hence empowerment of the community.

The researcher therefore concludes that grassroots participation contributes to the sustainability of the projects initiated by the CBOs. The researcher recommends that CBOs' internal structures be strengthened, more collaborative efforts between the stakeholders and the CBOs implementing community projects and also close monitoring and regulation of CBO work be done to capture their contribution to development.