The Influence of Consortium Relationships on Delivery of Donor Funded Programs A Case Study of the AIDS relief Project

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of consortium relationships on successful implementation of donor funded programs in Kenya specifically focusing on the AIDSRelief Program. Its objectives were to establish how compatibility in the AIDSRelief consortium influenced its delivery, evaluate how communication within the AIDSRelief consortium influenced delivery of the project, investigate how common aims influenced delivery of the AIDSRelief program and establish how commitment within the AIDRelief consortium influenced delivery of the project. A descriptive research design was adopted in the study, with a population of 345 employees working in the AIDSRelief Consortium. Purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 61 respondents. Questionnaire were used in data collection, which was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20. The study found that at 73.3%, respondents stated that effective communication should create a common understanding on the expectations of each party towards project delivery. Further, 76.2% of the respondents indicated that the vision, goals and targets of the project should be agreed upon at the onset of the project to ensure a common understanding amongst the consortium members. Constant consultation and dialogue with the donor and consortium members ensured that the project deliverables were met and that having clearly defined deliverables and timely, open and clear communication both vertically and horizontally within a consortium would effectively help in managing donor priorities. The study concluded that creating a working environment that embraced diversity determined how cohesion was maintained within consortiums. The study recommended that consortium members should establish create a working environment that embraces diversity to maintain cohesiveness and that leaders in consortiums should continuously develop their conflict resolution skills to enhance compatibility