Importance of Employee Participatory assessment of institutional and organisational challenges confronting dairy goat management in Kenya

Abstract

This empirical investigation of a range of actors, organisations and drivers influencing dairy goat management in Kenya applied the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework (IAD) as the analytical tool. Information was elicited using baseline survey involving questionnaires and participatory appraisal exercises. Venn diagrams and focus group discussions were used to map out key institutions and organisations in assessing their importance and links with the economic development of dairy goat producing households (and with each other). Farmer’s participation, meetings, farm visits and trainings on various dairy goat activities varied among projects and regions studied. Different stakeholder groups in the public, participatory and private sectors were identified and their relative rankings in the three regions quantified. The private sector was poorly represented while the majority of the stakeholders in the participatory sector were ranked higher and had a strong affiliation with the economic development of dairy goat keepers. Weaknesses were observed on the policy and legal status, the institutional and organisational arrangements in the dairy goat projects and the entire sector. The government needs to play a facilitative and regulatory role while putting in place and implementing strong and supportive policies and enacting legislation to safeguard the policy changes. Collective action by farmers is the preferred organisational option, but it has to be institutionalised, technically and policy-wise supported and networked with key stakeholders while clearly defining their respective roles. Informal milk markets need to be formalised and efficient market linkages along value chain established to improve on the economic development of dairy goat keepers, and act as an incentive for their participation and commitment.