Capacity Building of Project Beneficiaries and Performance of Community Based Conservation Projects: A Case of Laikipia Conservation Region Conservancies

Abstract

This study determined the extent to which capacity building of project beneficiaries influenced performance of Community Based Conservation (CBC) projects in Kenya. Anchored on pragmatism, the study was guided by theory of change, participatory development and stakeholder theories. A cross sectional study design that adopted convergent mixed methods approach composed of quantitative and qualitative strands was utilized. Questionnaires, focused group discussions and document analysis were used to collect data from seven community conservancies dotting Laikipia Ecosystem. Quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics to test the nature and strength of the relationship between variables and to predict the dependent variable based on the independent variable. Qualitative data was analyzed using framework analysis to get themes and triangulate the quantitative results. Capacity building of project beneficiaries was found to positively and significantly influence performance of CBC projects (r=.727, R²=.529, F (_1,237) = 264.584 at p = .001<.05). Furthermore, Welch's t-test showed that capacity building of project beneficiaries differed in the CBC project design of the sampled community conservancies as F= 14.769 df (_6,231), p = .001), t =15.848 df (_6,72.291), p = .001<.05. The study recommends that design of CBC projects ought to include methods for the co-development of the capacity of local organizations, traditional institutions and the wider society. Furthermore, the capacity building should be designed to account for local political, economic and cultural facilitating environments.

Keywords: Conservation, Development, Capacity Building, Project Performance, Community Empowerment, Acceptance of Conservation, Sustainable Resource Use, Biodiversity Regeneration

DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-2-08

Publication date: January 31^st 2021