Influence of beneficiary participation on effective monitoring and evaluation of community based water projects in Kenya: the case of Kiabaibate-Nchura in Tigania West sub-county

Abstract

Rural areas are faced with difficulty of water accessibility than in urban areas especially in Africa, where water collection may a great deal of physical effort, contaminated water sources posing health problems. Communities in these rural areas have sought to come together and initiate water projects to alleviate this menace. Tigania west Sub-County which is the scope of this study is part of the rural Kenya and therefore is faced by the problem of insufficient access of safe water to a majority of the population. The main objective is to investigate the effect of beneficiary participation in projects' monitoring and evaluation with a view to seeing how best they contribute to the sustainability of the project. The main concern here is to ascertain whether beneficiary involvement in M&E activities contributes to the effective monitoring and evaluation which equates to sustainability of Community Based water projects. In trying to unravel this issue the researcher employed to use descriptive survey design and where sample included respondents from both the members of the water project and the management team. The sampling method will be random sampling method of 30% members and the management of Kiabaibate-Nchura water Project. The instruments of data collection used were questionnaires (both structured and open) that were administered directly by the researcher as guided. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics: Frequency distributions and measures of central tendencies and in particular Likert scale analysis, the results of the survey are presented using tables.The variable that seemed to affect monitoring and evaluation in the project most was beneficiary participation in project activities, with beneficiaries demonstrating very poor participation in project activities, which are, sadly, the very building blocks The research recommends that reasons be sought for such poor and low participation in project activities, yet the beneficiaries indicate that the project is beneficial to them. The management should, on regular basis, expose the beneficiaries to the financial reports for increased transparency and accountability. It is anticipated that information gathered will enable communities understand the nature of CBWPs and further support Management committees, Government and donors in the adding value in the way in which they engage with the CBWPs. It will also put in a voice to many other academic opinions that makes project execution a learning process.