PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF GOVERNMENT FUNDED PROJECTS IN KENYA
A CASE OF ALEGO- USONGA SUB-COUNTY
Abstract
The research observed public participation on sustainability of the government funded projects. Descriptive research design was employed to establish the influence of public engagements on sustainability of the projects in Alego-Usonga sub- County. Targeted in the study were 103 respondents who included the Sub- County administrators, ward administrators, project managers, private contractors and project committee members who were targeted to provide information on behalf of the public. Also targeted were village administrators. Because of the small size of the population, the study conducted a census of the population. All the targeted respondents were administered with questionnaires and were given fourteen days to respond to questionnaires after which those responses were collected. The data was coded and analyzed through mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics were analyzed through correlation and regression analysis. Tables, pie charts and bar graphs were then employed to present the collected data. The outcomes of the study displayed that most of the Alego-Usonga sub-county citizens’ that took part in the study were male, aged 33-49 years, married and had worked for the county Government for more than six years. The findings of the study depicted a weak positive relationship between public participation structures and sustainability of Government funded projects (N=99, r=0.305, p=0.002). The regression model revealed that public participation structures was positively associated but non-significant with sustainability of Government funded projects (β=0.205, t=1.793, p=0.076). The results also displayed a weak negative relationship between public participation processes and sustainability of Government funded projects (N=99, r= -0.314, p=0.002).The regression model also shows that public participation processes was negatively and significantly associated with sustainability of Government funded projects (β=-0.244, t=-2.285, p=0.025).Finally, outcomes also identified a moderate positive relationship between public-private partnerships and sustainability of Government funded projects (N=99, r=0.412, p=0.000). The regression model also revealed that public-private partnerships was positively and significantly associated with sustainability of Government funded projects (β=0.320, t=2.820, p=0.006). Ethical considerations were taken into account and participants informed that the outcomes of the research were purely for academic purpose. The results of the study have an effect on county technocrats’, leaders’ and policy makers on the urge to expand and adopt appropriate components of public participation with the sole purpose of enhancing sustainability of Government funded-projects in the counties.
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