Paper and Presentation: Rethinking Stakeholder Relevance in Community Development Projects
Abstract: Development projects play significant roles in the growing of economies. Several studies posit that the role of development projects is even more crucial in developing and emerging societies because of their contribution to the GDP, employment generation and the provision of more balanced socio-economic societies. For this reason various tiers of government globally have adopted a number of strategies aimed at initiating and executing development projects. One commonly adopted strategy has been through the involvement of the parliament and legislative arm of government in grassroots and community development projects.
This study utilised a qualitative research strategy to evaluate the extent of local community inclusiveness in the community development projects in selected areas in Nigeria. The main findings of the study revealed limited engagement of local community stakeholders during most development projects championed by the legislative arm of government. Consequently, it made a strong case for a rethink in current methods used to manage and engage stakeholders. Several participants in the study suggested that this can be achieved through wider participation of the representatives of community stakeholders during the actual selection of projects. The study also advocates that sponsors of development projects need to understand the urgency of evaluating development projects on multi-dimensional performance measures which integrate the economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainability.
Key words: developing countries, development projects, Nigeria, project management, stakeholder engagement.
PMI Talent Triangle Skill: Strategic and Business Management
Biography: Tarila Zuofa is a Senior Lecturer in Project Management at the Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, Coventry University, United Kingdom. Prior to joining Coventry University, Tari held various lecturing posts at other UK Higher Educational Institutions. His PhD research which formed his initial research thrust explored a wide range of issues affecting risk management in the oil and gas industry and project management in general. Part of the novelty of the thesis was highlighted in its uniqueness of providing an excellent opportunity for exploring project management practices in developing and developed countries. While this research interest continues, it has now been complemented by the need for wider a understanding of soft issues like virtual project team management, project cultural complexity, infrastructure sustainability, governance and ethics in project environments.
He has published in several international peer-reviewed engineering and business journals. In recognition of his research, Tari has also been invited to present in leading national and international Project Management events like the Academy of Management (AOM) Annual Meeting, Project Management Institute (PMI) Research and Education conference as well as the Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM) where he shared his knowledge on contemporary project management issues.
