The impact of socio-economic factors on the performance of community projects in western Kenya

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of selected socio-economic factors including the work ethic and the level of participation in rural development performance via community development projects among the Nandi people of western Kenya. Data was sourced from a social survey of 27 randomly selected community development projects and a sample of 329 respondents - the intended beneficiaries of the projects. The findings support the prediction that the prevailing work ethic, socio-economic factors and the participation in such projects have a paramount influence on community development performance. It is recommended that development planners, policymakers and implementers should look for new strategies of improving the community's socio-economic status as well as promoting the work ethic and participation level because these are the factors responsible for the poor performance of community development projects.



Journal of Social Development in Africa Vol 16 No 1 2001, pp. 97-120