EVALUATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT APPROACH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the implementation of the Community and Social Development Programme (CSDP) using the community driven development approach in the development of communities in South Eastern Nigeria. Five research questions and five null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted an evaluative research design. The population of the study was 7,510 adult participants who are members of the community project management committees of the Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States. The sample size of the study was 1,568 respondents obtained using the stratified proportionate random sampling technique. The data collecting instrument was the researcher’s developed questionnaire titled ‘Evaluation of the Implementation of the Community Driven Development Approach in the Development of Communities Questionnaire’. The instrument was face validated by three validates, two from Adult Education and Extra Mural Studies Department, University of Nigeria Nsukka and one from Measurement and Evaluation Department, Enugu State University of Science and Technology. The overall reliability index of 0.77 was obtained using the Cronbach Alpha. Data obtained from the respondents were analysed using the mean and standard deviation for the research questions, while the null hypotheses were tested using the Analysis of Variance (one way) at 0.05 level of significance. Findings obtained from the study revealed that to a very high extent the implementation of CDD approach on community development projects has reduced poverty. Furthermore, the findings also indicated that to a high extent the implementation of the approach has enhanced community participation, promoted rural empowerment enhanced achievement of social capital and social accountability. The null hypotheses were all accepted. Significant difference was not found in the mean ratings of respondents with regard to the extent the implementation of CDD approach on community development projects has reduced poverty, enhanced community participation, promoted rural empowerment, achieved social capital as well as social accountability. Based on the findings, the study recommended that more community members should be encouraged to participate in planning and execution of community development projects since the CDD approach was identified as an effective strategy for enhanced community participation.