THE ROLE OF URBAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN ACHIEVING SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN WOLAYTA SODO TOWN

ABSTRACT Local governance requires the involvement of various stakeholders living and Working together to achieve different objectives. As a result, this study aimed to empirically investigate the role of urban local government development program in achieving socioeconomic development of WolaitaSodo town. A theoretical framework was used as a guideline to test the effect of these variables on urban development project performance from the relevant literature.For its methodological convenience mixed approach and research designs were descriptive and explanatory. Disproportional Stratified sampling technique was employed and a sample of 236 project stakeholder members were used to collect the data. Among the 236 of the sample 232 stakeholder members responded to the questionnaires and hence, the response rate was 97 percent. Besides, descriptive statistical tools of cross-tab like percentage, frequencies and charts are used to illustrate both profiles of the respondents and to assess the perception of ULGDP stakeholder members from data collected through questionnaires. Questionnaire, Interview and Physical observation were major primary data collection tools for this study. The study revealed that majority of the respondents reported disagreement on influences of the project determining variables to its project performance. Based on both primary and secondary data, the ULGDP has incurred low performance due to its determining variables. Cumulative Ordinal logit regression analysis was employed as a basic model for this study in order to examine the determinants of urban development project management and its performance. Based on the findings of the study, seven determinant factors have a positive association with project performance. The cumulativeordinal logit regression analysis result revealed that all explanatory variables. This indicated that urban development project management performance, ULGDP was influenced by independent variables included in this study. The major findings were community participation and ULGDP two intertwined issues. Community participation plays a very great role in identifying development queries and challenges that were raised in compliant handling. ULGDP has become one of the key development interventions and focuses on economic challenges which manifest the communities in unique localities Therefore, ULGDP should implement effective urban development project management system and build long lasting relationships with all project stakeholders.