Measuring the Level of Community Participation in a Demand Driven Development Project: Case of <i>Hazina Ya Maendeleo Ya Pwani</i> Approach in Coastal Kenya

Abstract

While active participation of beneficiary communities in development initiatives is often considered critical, its value however, cannot be empirically determined without a good measure of the level of community participation. The objective of this study was to determine the level of community participation in the implementation of projects financed through a community grant facility referred in Kiswahili as Hazina Ya Maendeleo Ya Pwani (HMP). The HMP project adopted a Community Driven Development (CDD) approach in engaging coastal communities in development initiatives. The research was carried out at the Kenya coastal region comprising six counties namely, Mombasa, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu and Tana River. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive (frequencies, standard deviation and mean) with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The study revealed that there was a high (2.81) Community Participation Index (COPI) in the overall implementation of the HMP projects signifying a high level of participation. There was a relatively lower COPI during proposal development stage-an indication of lack of skill in proposal development probably due to the high illiteracy level among coastal communities. The study concludes that the CDD approach is effective in actively engaging communities in the implementation of development initiatives. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the CDD approach can be used to develop contextualized strategies of enhancing community participation in development projects. The study also recommends that to optimize community participation in development initiatives, the twin challenge of high levels of illiteracy and inadequate skill in proposal How to cite this paper:

Assessing the Influence of Demographic Factors on Community Participation in a Demand Driven Development Project: The Case of <i>Hazina Ya Maendeleo Ya Pwani</i> Approach in Coastal Kenya

“…The target study population comprises the communities living in coastal region currently estimated at 3.3 million people [27]. The accessible population is the 2160 community members drawn from the CBOs that participated in the implementation of the HMP project and are also the beneficiaries of the same [25]. A sample size of 326 persons was computed using Ross et al [28] equation.…”

“…Participation of local people in development processes allows the community to have control over the resources, boost involvement and decision-making in developing their common comfort [5]. It is considered fundamental to the ownership and success of development initiatives [10] and essential in bringing about sustainable community development at the grassroots level [11]. It is believed that involving communities in assessing their own needs and in developing strategies to meet those needs can increase intervention ownership and sustainability [12].…”

“…Participation of the community is mostly done through structures such as Community Based Organizations (CBOs) specifically formed for the purposes of achieving common good projects [1] and is now among the fastest growing mechanism for channeling development assistance [17]. In many instances therefore, these have served as instruments for consultation with supposed beneficiaries about planning and implementation of community projects [10]. For this reason, the development landscape is today littered with committees formed in the wake of these changes, mandated as "user groups" to take on some of the functions of provisioning, regulation and management that previously resided with the state [18].…”

The influence of household human and social capitals on participation in agricultural development initiatives in the coastal region of Kenya

“…In Kenya today, participation of the community is mostly ensured through group structures such Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Common Interest Groups (CIGs), and Faith Based Groups (FBGs), which according to Putnam (1993, cited in Cuthill, 2010 are social capital specifically formed for the purposes of achieving common good projects (Hassan et al, 2018;Ong'ayo et al, 2017) and which are among the growing mechanisms for channelling development assistance (Khwaja, 2004). The groups have served as instruments for consultation with supposed beneficiaries about planning and implementation of community projects (Hassan et al, 2018;Ong'ayo et al, 2017). The groups are formed on the basis of inter- (Danida, 2004).…”

Determinants of sustainability for community based water projects: the case of Hazina ya Maendeleo ya Pwani in coastal Kenya

“…KCDP was a World Bank (WB) funded project in which coastal communities were fully engaged in the entire process of identifying, developing and implementing projects of their choice (Aura et al, 2015). HMP adopted a Community Driven Development (CDD) approach in the delivery of the community projects (Hassan et al, 2018). CDD is a typology of participatory approaches popularly defined as a methodology that emphasizes handing over of planning decisions and investment resources directly to community groups and the local government (Wong, 2012).…”