Community Based Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation: Impacts on Farmer Organization Functioning, Social Capital and Accountability

Abstract

Farmer organizations have taken root in the development agenda and practice in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is because they are recognized as a best-bet approach for achieving inclusive sustainable development. Group performance has, however, been varied - hence different mechanisms for improving group functioning have been developed, such as community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E). The effectiveness of community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in improving group functioning has not been rigorously evaluated. A study was therefore conducted to determine the impact of community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation on group functioning using three Kenyan groups. Using a mixed methods approach, the study finds that farmer groups that integrated community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation had higher indices for group social capital and performance. These groups exhibited greater group cohesion and members had higher satisfaction with group performance. Accountability, a key factor determining group functioning, was found to not differ significantly between groups with and without community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation. Conclusions are that integrating community Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in groups is essential for improving internal group functioning. However, this should be implemented in combination with other strategies that specifically aim to improve accountability. Without such an approach there is the danger of eroding the benefits of community driven Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation. Strategies to improve accountability must incorporate capacity building of group members' basic numeracy and literacy skills. This will enable the mostly illiterate membership to better understand and enforce accountability and, to better participate. Keywords: Kenya, community monitoring and evaluation, innovation, social capital, mixed methods