By CTW Team

On November 12, the Graduate School organized a colloquium where Prof. Veronicah Kaluyu, Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at the Chandaria School of Business, presented her paper. Titled, “Social Impact Project Management & Evaluation Core Competencies, Competitive Advantage, and Communities’ Wellbeing,” the research offers a compelling analysis based on a mixed-methods study across four Kenyan counties: Kiambu, Kitui, Kajiado, and Nakuru. In an era where effective social projects are crucial for community development, this new research sheds light on the critical link between project management skills and tangible community benefits.

The research identifies a crucial "Evaluation Paradox!" While strong technical and leadership competencies in project evaluation are essential, the study found they do not automatically lead to greater community wellbeing and can even have a weak negative effect on competitive advantage if implemented in isolation. This counterintuitive finding suggests that a narrow focus on compliance and reporting can create a bureaucratic burden, diverting attention from genuine service delivery.

The path to success, the research reveals, is shaped by key moderating factors. Technology access emerged as a powerful enabler, significantly strengthening an organization's competitive advantage by enhancing efficiency and data credibility. Conversely, the study uncovered that current practices in stakeholder engagement can be counterproductive if perceived as extractive or tokenistic, underscoring the need for genuine community co-creation.

Prof. Kaluyu’s work culminates in a strategic framework for counties, recommending a fundamental shift from evaluation for accountability to evaluation for adaptive learning and management. The key takeaway is that building technical skills, while necessary, is insufficient. True, sustainable impact requires balancing technical rigor with context-sensitive, community-centered implementation.

This research not only enhances USIU-Africa’s visibility in SDG-aligned scholarship but also strengthens vital academic-industry-community linkages, providing an actionable blueprint for county governments and NGOs to enhance their social impact for years to come.