Monitoring, Evaluation Practices and Sustainability of Community Based Projects in Embu County, Kenya

Over the years, community-based projects in Embu County have experienced a significant increase in number. However, sustainability of the projects has become a challenge to many communities and organizations. Thirty seven percent of the community based projects are left uncompleted while twenty nine percent are completely abandoned since they cannot meet long term needs of the society. The projects failure is associated to lack of continuous auditing and appraisal. However, this study investigated the influence of monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of community based projects in Embu County, Kenya. Specifically, the study examined the effects of project planning, feedback, resource allocation and training on sustainability of community based projects in Embu County. The investigation was anchored on three theories which include theory of sustainability, resource based theory and system theory. A target population of 2 community based projects in Embu County, notably, Makima wash and street children rehabilitation and empowerment were used. The study targeted 71 respondents who were involved in the two community based projects. The technique of stratified random sampling was utilized determine 55 sample size of the interviewees. A planned investigative instrument was used for data gathering from the respondents. Descriptive and multiple regression analysis techniques were adopted. Based on the regression analysis, the study found that project planning has significant positive upshot on Embu County sustainability of community based projects in Kenya. The study found that feedback has significant positive upshot on Embu County sustainability of community based projects in Kenya. Also, the study established that resource allocation had significant positive effect on sustainability of community based projects in Embu County, Kenya. Finally, the study found that project staff training had significant positive effect on sustainability of community based projects in Embu County, Kenya. The study recommends that effective project planning be put in place by the project team and management. Project team member should ensure that their personal monitoring and evaluation control plan aligns with the project MandE plan. The study further recommends that there should be sound feedback system on the different project phases, from initiation to execution stages. Projects execution should be well coordinated with transparency in decision making on monitoring and evaluation feedback. The study also recommends that there should be enhanced human resource competency to monitoring and evaluation resource planning. There should be efficient monitoring and evaluation resource allocation in projects activities. The study further recommends that project training should be handled with utmost importance. Project team members should continually be adequately trained to identify and handle monitoring and evaluation errors in the projects. The study recommends that additional studies be focused on community based projects in other counties in Kenya so as to produce county specific results.