PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND ITS EFFECT ON SELECTION AND EXECUTION OF PROJECTS: A CASE OF SIAYA COUNTY
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND ITS EFFECT ON SELECTION AND EXECUTION OF PROJECTS: A CASE OF SIAYA COUNTY
Omiti Gedrick John - Student, Master of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Edna Moi - Professor, Department of Public Policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
The public participation in project selection and implementation is a varied activity that entails the contribution and involvement of numerous stakeholders. The sustainability and viability of projects depend on how well they are carried out. The research aimed is to explore the effect of public participation in selection and execution of projects in Siaya County, Kenya. The study objectives were; to assess how public participation in project identification affect selection and execution of projects, to access the procedures used in public invitation on selection and execution of projects and to establish the ladder of public participation on selection and execution of projects in Siaya County, Kenya. Stakeholder theory and Arnstein's Theory of Public Participation served as the study's guiding theories. A descriptive research design was utilized for this study. The Siaya County residents who are the subject of the study are locals. The sample size was determined using the Fisher formula. To choose the 384 participants for the study, random sampling techniques were used. To gather information, questionnaires and interview schedules were employed. With the aid of SPSS version 26, the data was examined. Tables showing frequency distributions were used to depict the analyzed data. The study findings revealed that project identification, procedures used in invitation and ladder of public participation significantly impacted the selection and execution of projects. The results show that public participation throughout project processes fosters a sense of community ownership and support. It contributes to the identification and mitigation of concerns, promoting effective conflict resolution and consensus building. The engagement of diverse stakeholders, guided by the ladder of public participation, ensures that projects are designed with a holistic understanding of the community's needs, values, and aspirations. The study concludes that public participation plays a pivotal role in shaping the selection and execution of projects, influencing outcomes at various stages from project identification to implementation. The effectiveness of public participation is closely tied to the procedures used in invitation and the ladder of public participation applied throughout the process. Project identification, the initial phase of project development, benefits significantly from public involvement. The study recommends that the project team should invite community members to share their thoughts on various projects in order to facilitate community participation and guarantee a smooth project identification phase. The project team should involve community members in all planning activities, such as work sequencing, work scheduling, budgeting, staffing, and obtaining approvals from government agencies, in order to maximize participation in the planning phase and successfully complete the projects.
