Factors Affecting Sustainability of Donor Funded Community Development Projects After the end of Donor Support

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the factors influencing the sustainability of donor-funded community development projects in Tanzania, focusing on the case of Rural Initiatives for Participatory Agricultural Transformation (RIPAT) projects implemented in Karatu and Arusha (DC). The main research objective of the study was to identify the existing gaps in understanding the post-donor support sustainability of RIPAT projects and how these projects can continue to thrive and deliver lasting impact in the absence of external funding. The study employed the mixed-methods approach whereby by both qualitative and quantitative data for factors affecting sustainability of community development projects were collected and analyzed. The study targeted population comprised of beneficiaries of the two RIPAT Projects in Karatu and Arusha DC. Quantitative data were analyzed using the SPSS software while the qualitative data after being summarized were analyzed thematically. Research found that beneficiary involvement, project approach and level of donor support are essential to donor-funded community development project sustainability. The majority of respondents actively participated in RIPAT projects, showing ownership and dedication. Beneficiaries participated in project selection, training, and committee leadership. The approach encourages extensive involvement promotes responsibility and empowerment, evolvement of project without dependency to the project actors NGO, resulted to the long-term success. Technical, material and financial support from the donor throughout the project lifetime were essential for project sustainability. The study concludes and recommends that beneficiary involvement helps them comprehend the technologies and practices introduced to them, making it easy for them to continue practicing after donor funding ends, ensuring project sustainability, it further concludes that project approach lay the foundation for the sustainability of the project after the end of donor support and that donor support in the project accelerate the successful performance of the project during and after the end of donor support hence project become sustainable.