Title: The Effects of Training and Skills Development on the Success of Community Projects Implemented by the Care Relief Project in Bosaso, Puntland, Somalia
Authors: Mohamud Mohamed Nur and Dr. Kennedy Christopher Obondi
Volume: 10
Issue: 8
Pages: 95-108
Publication Date: 2026/08/28
Abstract:
Purpose: This study examined the effects of training and skills development on the success of community projects implemented by the CARE International relief project in Bosaso, Puntland, Somalia. The study specifically focused on technical skills, project management skills, and leadership skills as determinants of project sustainability, community participation, and achievement of project goals. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study employed a descriptive correlational design using a mixed-methods approach. The study population comprised 750 project staff, beneficiaries, community leaders, and local government officials drawn from a wider population of 1,250 individuals connected to CARE relief projects in Bosaso. A quantitative sample of 251 respondents was drawn through stratified random sampling across respondent categories, of which 250 questionnaires were validly returned (99.6% response rate), while qualitative data were obtained from 10 key informants selected purposively through semi-structured interviews, all of which were completed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, and thematic content analysis. Findings: There was found to be a strong, statistically significant positive relationship between training and skills development and the success of community projects (r = .712, p < .001), and regression analysis indicated that training and skills development accounts for approximately 50.5% of the variance in project success (Adjusted Rē = .505; B = .689; ? = .712). The study established that technical skills training enhanced effective participation in project activities, project management training improved accountability and coordination, and leadership development strengthened community mobilization and project sustainability. Qualitative evidence from project managers, field officers, community leaders, and local government officials reinforced these quantitative findings. Originality/Value: This study provides context-specific empirical evidence on how training and skills development influence community project success within a fragile, humanitarian setting, addressing a gap in the literature regarding CARE relief operations in Puntland, Somalia, and offers a replicable evidence base for humanitarian capacity-building policy in comparable Horn of Africa contexts.