Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of the Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and beneficiary farmer participation in the establishment of agricultural development projects. This study evaluated two districts in different ecological regions for easy comparison. The study also considered the performance of irrigation and livestock projects that have been implemented differently, that is, involving farmer participation and top-down approach. Participatory cattle projects performed badly and in some instances the projects were a total failure. The early withdrawal of the NGOs after project implementation coupled with lack of technical support by the governmental departments responsible for agricultural and rural development helped in aiding the failure and poor performance. Since beneficiary participation usually takes place as an integral part of the social analysis, through a social assessment process, NGOs should be a part of the development project’s development phases to reinforce its takeoff and sustainability. The vision of the society that the NGOs have at the planning and implementation of a project should be sustained and supported through the processes of monitoring and evaluation. NGOs should bear the accountability, not only of funds but of all activities throughout the phases of the project while gaining support from other stakeholders.

Key words: Participatory, projects, non-governmental organisations, beneficiary participation.