Thesis:

Stakeholder involvement in the project lifecycle and sustainability of funding projects in Wajir west sub-county, Wajir county, Kenya

This research project sought to explore the pivotal role of stakeholder involvement throughout the project lifecycle and its influence on the sustainability of funding projects in Wajir County. The study was anchored by specific objectives aimed at determining how stakeholder engagement in project identification, planning, implementation, and monitoring affects the sustainability of these initiatives. Understanding these dynamics was crucial, especially in the context of decentralized governance, where community participation is essential for the success of development projects. The research was also examining the varying levels of engagement among different stakeholder groups and how these differences impact project outcomes. The theoretical framework for this study was grounded in two key theories: Stakeholder Theory and Stewardship Theory to fulfill these objectives, a mixed-methods research design was employed, integrating qualitative interviews, surveys, and document analysis. This approach allowed for a comprehensive exploration of stakeholder perspectives and experiences, providing a richer understanding of the factors that contribute to project sustainability. The target population encompassed community members, local government officials, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and project implementers, ensuring a diverse representation of voices. A stratified sampling technique was utilized to capture insights from various stakeholder groups, reflecting the socio-economic diversity of Wajir west Sub-County. Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 26, which facilitated the identification of patterns and correlations between stakeholder involvement and project sustainability. The findings were presented in multiple formats, including tables, graphs, and narrative descriptions, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the results and their implications for practice. Results showed that the p-value for the deviation from linearity was 0.172. <0.05 implying that project identification and sustainability of ward development fund are linearly related. Sustainability of ward development Fund in Wajir West Sub-County and project planning have a significant positive correlation (r=0.765, p-value<0.05). there was a linear relationship between project monitoring and sustainability of ward development fund since 0.366 0.05 level of significance and there existed linear relationship between project implementation and sustainability of ward development fund 0.876<0.05. The study found a positive and significant effect of stakeholder involvement in project identification on the performance of ward-funded projects. A board's opinion on how and how much businesses should invest in the project, prompt decision-making, and project managers receiving updates on the project's status are all examples of how stakeholders can participate in project planning. Additionally, the study found that project supervision and monitoring have a big impact on how well wardfunded projects perform. The ward development fund must make sure that every level of the project has sufficient stakeholder participation. It suggests that a study on stakeholder participation be carried out on a project of a similar nature somewhere else than Wajir County's Wajir West Sub-County.