| Abstract: | The study was necessitated by the fact that past models of development program
interventions need to be gaged in the achievement of their impacts beyond the level of
project periods through validating key determinants of sustainability. This was guided by
five objectives that aims towards establishing whether community participation, better
M&E schemes, full-fledged exit strategies and comprehensive fund development
contributed to a more sustainable projects. Review of relevant literature revealed that
development projects in general have a poor track record of sustaining their impact
socially, economically and environmentally. The literature review revealed that project
management competencies and practices such as the M&E system, project implementation
and exiting strategies, the fund development and management system and stakeholder
management play quite significant role in sustaining project impact. Hypothesizing on such
factors, the research adopted both descriptive and explanatory research design employing
questionnaire and key informant interview as the primary data collection tools. The study
employ mainly a quantitative data analysis method complemented by qualitative data
analysis technique. Twenty-two respondents from the sample size of nine projects of four
program areas of GOAL Ethiopia, the case in point, have responded to the questionnaire
and KII’s with five program management staffs were conducted. The findings indicate that
hypothesized variables such as community participation, M&E system and practices, exit
strategies and the way project developed and manage funds could significantly contribute
to the sustainability of development projects. In order to achieve sustainable development
projects, there has to be a correlation and a chain of connectivity of various aspects and
indicators. This study, therefore, concludes that community participation, management
practices, exit strategies and fund development are all factors that positively influence the
sustainability of donor funded development projects. However, the correlation can only
justify the 76.2% of factors that contribute to the sustainability of development projects. It
is, therefore, recommended that there be further studies to understand other factors
(variables) that explain the 23.8% of variance. |
