Shades of institutional change: the case of Nature Fresh dairy development project

This study reviewed the context, organisational arrangements and institutional changes for the operation of a smallholder dairy development project, comprising multi-stakeholders in three locales. The objective was to have a comparative assessment of the project dynamics and to draw lessons for improving its performance. The data were collected by personal interviews with key project stakeholders from each locale as well as relevant secondary sources and analysed qualitatively by performing thematic analysis. The framework, Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC), along with the theory of institutional entrepreneurship, was used to inform the analysis and discuss the findings. Though the project background and actor diversity were comparable, the study results signalled varying levels of project dynamics and performance in multi-locations. Crucial insights about institutional changes at various levels, the role of institutional entrepreneurs and the importance of reflective learning to strengthen the project processes and governance were also obtained. Furthermore, the findings underscored the need for engaging the project participants in its governance to ensure its sustainability , and better convergence and vision sharing among the stakeholders to build on the project. Such studies may help the development organisations to critically reflect on aspects, such as project design, processes and institutional changes, which are vital in deciding the project dynamics. The study demonstrates the utility of the ILAC framework, originally developed in the agricultural research context, for analysing development projects at the micro level. This study validates the argument that a project with a uniform design and pattern could perform differently with structural modifications, to affect its performance and sustainability.