Organizational Dynamics and Public Participation in Kenya: A Case of Constituency Development Fund Projects in Manyatta Constituency, Embu County

Abstract

Public participation in CDF-funded projects in Kenya is a mandatory practice that is meant to ensure transparency and good governance in the management of public resources. Yet, numerous cases are often reported where public participation is deliberately ignored or inappropriately handled, hence leading to misappropriation of funds, misplaced priorities in initiation of public projects, and stalling of some of the already initiated projects among other inconveniences. The main objective of this study was to establish the influence of organizational dynamics on public participation in Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects in Kenya, with reference to Manyatta Constituency in Embu County. Specific objectives of the study included to determine the influence of leadership, the role of financial resources, the effect of IT infrastructure, and the effect of staff training on public participation in CDF projects in Manyatta constituency. The study was guided by the Theory of Change by Carol Weiss (1995), and it adopted descriptive research design where the target population was 154,632 residents of Manyatta constituency spread across 6 wards in the constituency. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select a study sample of 384 respondents and primary data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of SPSS computer software while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic content analysis technique. Key findings indicated that all the four independent variables: project leadership, financial resources, IT infrastructure, and staff training significantly influenced public participation in CDF funded projects. Majority of the respondents said that each of the four factors influenced public participation in CDF projects to a great extent. Based on inferential analysis, it emerged that a unit increase in project leadership, financial resources, IT infrastructure, and staff training, other factors held constant, would result into 12.1%, 13.2%, 14.1%, and 11.2% increase in public participation respectively. At 5% significance level, all the predictor variables [project leadership (p=0.002<0.05), financial resources (p=0.001<0.05), IT infrastructure (p=0.004<5), and staff training (p=0.003<0.05)] had significant influence on the dependent variable, public participation in CDF funded projects. The study concluded that project leadership, financial resources, IT infrastructure, and staff training played a critical role in influencing public participation in CDF projects in terms of the number and quality of projects completed and duration they took for completion. The study recommended that all CDF managers should be compelled by the public to allow and embrace public participation in CDF funded projects. There must also be proper priority setting in initiation of CDF funded projects to foster prudent financial resources management by CDF committees. This will further enhance proper running of all activities associated with CDF such as public participation which is a requirement by law. Also, all CDF management activities must integrate information and communication technology through proper installation of IT infrastructure and regular updates to meet current demands. CDF management staff mustalso be regularly trained in order to have the necessary skillsets for effective execution oftheir work and interaction with members of the public