Factors Influencing Sustainability of Community Based Project in Rwanda: A Case of Imali Project

Abstract

The main objective of this research study was to determine out the factors influencing sustainability of community-based project in Rwanda with Imali case project implemented by Imbuto Foundation in Gasabo, Kayonza, Huye, Musanze and Rubavu districts. The specific goals of the study are: to find out how community participation affects the sustainability of the Imali project; to find out how resource capacity affects the sustainability of the Imali project; and to find out how project management expertise affects the sustainability of the Imali project. Descriptive research used for this study, and it used both quantitative and qualitative methods. There were 359 persons in all included in the research, representing 9 different cooperatives. The simple size of 196 people was determined by using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula and the stratified random sampling used to allocate and deploy the calculated sample size in nine cooperatives proportionally to the size of each one. These showed that the human (age, education, management skills, population participation), economic (resource, purchase capacity), environment (market, calamity disaster) and greenhouse technology usage.  The results presented in tables, figures and cross tables among others and be analyzed by using the literature reviews and proceed by a conclusion and recommendation to the results obtained assuring that the intended beneficiaries and other relevant parties are set up for success once donor funding wanes. The regression analysis on model summary results that indicate the influence of community participation, community resource capacity and project management skills on sustainability of the Imali project. The results indicated R of .798, R square of 0.636 and adjusted R square 0.630 based on R square it shows that 63.60% of total variation on sustainability of Imali project explained by those factors. ANOVA shows that F=108.441 and p 0.000<0.05 which is set as the standard significance level. This means that the researcher can confirm there is an influence of community participation, community resource capacity and project management skills on sustainability of the Imali project. The management of agricultural cooperatives recommended to establish good and sustainable management that ensure sustainability, autonomy, and independency rather than always waiting the external support.

Keywords: Sustainability, Community Based Project, Rwanda.