Stakeholder Engagement in Sexual and Reproductive Health Program in Kigoma Tanzania

ABSTRACT The study investigated the effect of stakeholder engagement on sexual and reproductive health program in Kigoma, Tanzania. The following objectives guided the study: i) to establish the effect of stakeholder identification and analysis on sexual and reproductive health program in Kigoma, Tanzania; ii) to determine the effect of information disclosure on sexual and reproductive health program in Kigoma, Tanzania; and iii) to establish the effect of stakeholder consultation on sexual and reproductive health program in Kigoma, Tanzania. This study adopted a cross-sectional study. The target population was 662 and the sample size was 249, however, 195 respondents successfully participated in the study. The research instruments included questionnaires and interview. Data was analyzed using frequency and percentage tables, descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (regression analysis). The study revealed that stakeholder identification and analysis significantly affected the variance in sexual and reproductive health by 41.7% (R2 =0.417, p=0.000); information disclosure significantly affected the variance in sexual and reproductive health by 46.7% (R2 =0.467, p=0.000), while stakeholder consultation significantly affected the variance in sexual and reproductive health by 54% (R2 =0.540, p=0.000). The study concluded that stakeholder engagement is a great tool in promoting sexual and reproductive health program in Kigoma District. The study made the following recommendations: the need for the program team leaders to emphasize identification of stakeholders who would be directly and indirectly affected by the program at an early stage; the need for program leaders to perform an interest-based analysis and do some mapping that can help to clarify the motivations of different actors and the ways in which they might be able to influence the program; the need for program leaders to make sure that information about sexual and reproductive health is accessible to the public in a format that is readable and easily understandable by even the most lay person; the need for program leaders to act transparent to the government, sponsors, the district leaders as well as the beneficiaries of the project; and the need for program leaders emphasize consultation at all stages of the program.