The Influence of Project Planning and Implementation on the Performance of Agricultural Projects by Community Based Organizations in Bungoma County, Kenya

Kenya’s economy is heavily dependent on agriculture. As such, the agricultural sector provides the basis for the development of other sectors. However, the performance of many agricultural projects in Kenya is still wanting. Some projects have stalled while others get completed but with low returns. Therefore, the study sought to establish the influence of project management practices on the performance of agricultural projects by community based Organizations in Bungoma County in western Kenya. Based on the study, this paper discusses the findings on the influence of project planning and implementation on the performance of agricultural projects in Bungoma County. The study used descriptive and explanatory research designs. It targeted 138 community project groups carried out by CBOs registered in Bungoma County. The study used stratified sampling to select 61 project groups from the target population. Primary data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Interviews were also conducted with 15 field officers. Descriptive statistics were computed to describe the characteristics of the variables whereas inferential statistics in form of simple and multiple regression were used to establish the nature and magnitude of the relationships between variables. Data was analysed using SPSS version 22. Qualitative data was analysed through content analysis. On simple regression, project planning and project implementation were found to influence agricultural project performance. Therefore, the study recommended that, in order to have the desired project performance, the sponsors should ensure more extension services and expose the farmers to more effective projects for benchmarking. Keywords: Project Planning, Implementation, Performance, Agricultural Projects, Community Based Organizations, Bungoma, Keny