Impact of Participatory Project Management on Agricultural Project Performance

Participatory project management practices have gained significant attention within the agricultural sector, reflecting a broader global trend toward engaging diverse stakeholders in planning, execution, and evaluation of projects, However, despite the recognized benefits of such practices, agricultural projects in Rwanda still encounter significant challenges related to stakeholder engagement and local participation. The study sought to assess participatory project management practices influence on performance of agricultural projects in Musanze district, Rwanda with focus on participatory planning, implementation, and M&E. The research was guided by the Stakeholder Theory, Social Capital Theory, and Goal Setting Theory, which offered a structured approach to understanding how participatory practices impact agricultural project outcomes. The research employed descriptive and correlational designs. The target population for this study consisted of 465 population divided into four categories: 10 project managers, 83 project staff and team members, 298 beneficiaries’ representatives, and 74 community leaders. Using Slovin’s formula, the sample size was calculated to be 215 participants, ensuring that the study's findings accurately represented the population. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics like correlation and regression analysis were applied. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 on descriptive and inferential statistics of Bivariate Correlation and regression analysis. For the study on TUBURA Project, a pre-test was conducted on 10% of the sample size equal to 22 respondents, including project managers and staff to assess the effectiveness of the questionnaire. A validity index of 0.8 was obtained while the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of reliability was 0.83, which exceeds the minimum acceptable reliability threshold of 0.70. The findings for the hypotheses at ?=.05 level of significance that: there is no significant influence of participatory planning, execution and M&E on performance of agricultural projects was rejected since P=0.000<0.05. All predictors show statistically significant effects on performance, with p-values less than 0.05. The study recommends that management of TUBURA Project should enhance participatory planning by organizing regular community meetings, ensuring local input in decision-making, and making planning documents easily accessible to stakeholders for increased transparency and accountability. Future research should investigate the socio-economic impacts of participatory methods on beneficiaries of agricultural projects.