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This research sought to investigate the moderating influence of monitoring and evaluation practices on the relationship between community empowerment and the sustainability of forest conservation projects. This study was conducted in Taita-Taveta County, located in the southern part of Kenya. Community empowerment is viewed as a process and an end where community members gain control of their lives. The empowerment practices considered were knowledge and skills empowerment, decision-making empowerment, conflict resolution empowerment and income-generating empowerment activities. The study relied on a cross-sectional survey study design. A sample of 365 respondents for quantitative data was determined using Yamane formulae. Mixed methods were used to collect and analyse data. Cluster sampling and systematic sampling were used progressively to select respondents for quantitative questions, while those for qualitative questions were selected purposively. Additional data collection methods were observation and document analysis. The study noted that projects implemented in the study area were barely sustainable, with at least 44.1% of respondents agreeing while 52.1% neither agreed nor disagreed. Regression analysis results indicated the R-square change (model 2) of 0.015, which implied that model 2 with monitoring and evaluation practices positively enhanced the influence of community empowerment activities on the sustainability of forest conservation practices by at least 1.5%. Based on the results, the study concluded that monitoring and evaluation practices enhance the sustainability of forest conservation projects with a recommendation that project designers should always include monitoring and evaluation practices in their projects.

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This study investigated the inf luence of community empowerment on the sustainability of forest conservation projects in Kenya. It has been observed that many forest conservation projects cease as soon as financial support ends hence the need to investigate the phenomenon. This study was undertaken in the South-Eastern part of Kenya within Taita-Taveta County. Cross sectional survey design was used in the study. The study hypothesized that “There was no statistically significant relationship between community empowerment activities and sustainability of forest conservation projects.” It targeted 4138 household heads in five administrative locations considered as clusters in this study. Mixed research methods were used in the collection and analysis of data. A total of 365 quantitative data respondents were selected systematically, while qualitative data respondents were selected purposively. The study ascertained that at least 44.1% of respondents at least agreed that forest projects were sustainable, while 3.9% disagreed. Approximately 52% of respondents neither agreed nor disagreed that forest conservation projects were sustainable. Regression analysis showed F-ratio values of F (4,360) = 66.438; p < 0.05. The null hypothesis was therefore rejected. The study also ascertained that community empowerment influenced the sustainability of forest conservation projects. The researcher recommended that community empowerment activities be factored into future projects during the design stage to bolster sustainability.

Vision 2030 is Kenya's economic blueprint whose focus is to guide the country in the transformational agenda of achieving a newly industrialized, middle-income country; a country where citizens enjoy high quality life in a clean and secure environment by the year 2030. Appreciating that agriculture is the backbone of the Kenya’s economy, it is critical to inject efficiency in food security projects to guarantee sustainable food security. However, the current food production system is not keen on maintaining value of resources, hence, catalysing soil degradation, deforestation, water depletion, and Green House Gas emissions. Consequently, climate change, food insecurity, slowed economy, unemployment, and poverty. The resultant effect is poor human health, inability to cope with shocks, inequalities, and lack of social services. Nonetheless, factual based policies supporting science, technology, and innovation for efficient and effective resource utilization in food security projects will promote the country’s capacity in achieving resilience in food security. This paper will highlight the concept of resource utilization planning to enhance, resources predictability and value maintenance. The study will employ desk review of relevant documents on: resource utilization and food security and nutrition. The findings are expected to provide policy makers with insight on the policies that are required as a fundamental catalyst, in designing and creating an enabling environment for robust food security projects. In return, the food security projects are bound to minimize on extractive activities, Green House Gas emissions, deforestation, soil degradation and water depletion.