Factors influencing implementation of nongovernmental partnership projects; a case of save the children in high impact nutrition intervention project in Wajir East sub-county Kenya

Abstract

The study sought to address the Factors Influencing Implementation of NonGovernmental Partnership of Save the Children and Ministry of Health project in Wajir East Sub-County, Kenya. The project implementation process is complex, usually requiring simultaneous attention to a wide variety of human, budgetary, and technical variables. The complex and demanding experience of project implementation has triggered most of the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to adopt and engage partners to assist in project implementation. Nevertheless, a challenge on effective project implementation still exists and more so in a more eminent levels. This therefore prompted this study in order to investigate the partner‟s financial resources and experience in implementation of such Non Governmental Organizations programmes, partners own capacity to coordinate and organize, partners capacity in accountability and transparency and whether there are internal governance structures of local Civil Society Organizations partners to ensure that they meet relevant standards, a precondition of their being able to legitimately implement projects in Wajir East SubCounty. A descriptive research design was used in the study and census sampling method was used to get the population. The study targeted a population of 298 persons, which included 260 staff from Ministry of Health and 38 staff members from Save the Children project. The study used all staff from Save the Children and Ministry of Health as respondents. Questionnaires were used as data collection instruments. A pilot test was carried out to ensure reliability of the instruments. The collected data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. A qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data analysis and findings were presented using Tables. The study found that 79% of the respondents believed that Ministry of Health have adequate financial resources and experience to act as a partner on Save the Children project implementation. 68% of the respondents believed that Save the Children offers capacity building for the Ministry of Health. This meant that training and capacity building be done by the Save the Children on behalf of the MoH. The analysis indicated from 84% of the respondents that Ministry of Health has tried to enhance and embrace the accountability and transparency policy. The study found from 90% of the respondents that Ministry of Health has got internal governance structures that guide its operation. The study concluded that there is governance structure that guides the Ministry of Health. The study concludes that financial power and experience as an implementing partner are key to the success of the contract as a partner that the Organizations need to be accountable to many different sets of stakeholders which, separately and collectively, play an integral part in their operations and that the impacts of governance structure in any organization are very high. There is however proper guidance of the governance structure to ensure that the governance does not interfere with the proper management of the NGO or its operations. It is recommended that partners in project implementation be vetted on their financial capability; that NGOs should build the coordination and management of the capacity of their entire organization; that Ministry of Health has get all trained staff on coordination and management; that partners themselves should be tasked with the responsibility of ensuring accountability and transparency, and subject their accounts and books of accounts to both internal and external auditors to sustain accountability and that for the Ministry of Health to work properly as an implementing partner for the Save the Children there need be proper governing structure to guide the operations. The study was of great benefit to the donors, the non-governmental organizations, the project implementation partners and the beneficiaries.