Influence of Constrained Programming on Humanitarian Project Outcomes in United Nations Agencies in Kenya

Abstract

Humanitarian project outcomes have not been achieved fully due to lack of effective programming. The result is failure to meet the needs of beneficiaries. It is for this compelling reason that it is important to deconstruct the roles of and linkages between emergency, relief and development aid, identify problems that influence effectiveness of desired project outcomes, and also acknowledge progress and successes both past and present. This study addressed the influence of constrained programming on project outcomes in United Nations agencies in Kenya. The main objective of the study was to establish the influence of constrained programming on project outcomes in United Nations’ agencies in Kenya. The specific objectives were; to establish how project strengthening influenced project outcomes in United Nations’ agencies in Kenya, to ascertain how structural policy framework influenced project outcomes in United Nations’ agencies in Kenya, to determine project team deployment influenced project outcomes in United Nations’ Agencies in Kenya, to find out how promotion of private sector engagement influenced project outcomes in United Nations’ Agencies in Kenya and to establish the moderating effect of project environment on the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The study adopted a descriptive research design guided by cross sectional survey. The study sampled 13 project outcomes in UN agencies in Kenya. The study findings showed a significant influence of all the five variables to the Project outcomes in UN agencies. The study found out that there was significant corresponding change in the Project outcomes in UN agencies for every change in all the five predictor variables jointly. Test of overall significance of all the five variables jointly, Project Strengthening, Project team deployment, Structural Policy Framework and Promotion of private sector engagement using ANOVA, it found the model to be significant. The output given from the findings indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between the components of Constrained Programming namely Project Strengthening (PS), Structural Policy Framework (SPF), Project Team deployment (PTD) and Promotion of private sector engagement (PPSE) with Project outcomes in UN agencies as shown by the regression analysis value of t – Calculated which was greater than t critical and P Value that was acceptable level for all the variables. The findings also demonstrated that constrained programming can be used to mobilize, assemble, and manage all intangible resources in order to enhance Project outcomes in UN agencies in Kenya. The findings also indicated that all the independent variables were a major contributor towards the Project outcomes in UN agencies in Kenya. Based on the findings, it can be concludes that Constrained Programming influenced Project outcomes in UN agencies to a very large extent. Further, the study concludes that project resources are an important factor influencing project outcomes. The regression coefficients of the study showed that project resources had a significant positive influence on project outcomes. The study concludes that Promotion of private sector engagement is also an important factor that influences project outcomes. The study recommends that humanitarian projects should realize that in the present project environment, constrained programming forms an important element of intangible assets of the UN agencies which should be reconfigured to ensure that the projects seize opportunities, are proactive in the market place, make new product and process innovations. Areas for future research include other studies within different geographical contexts, concepts, methodologies and instruments. Future research can also be conducted using longitudinal research.