The impact of infrastructure development projects increating jobs and reducing poverty in the case of Fichetown. Dida heto kebele

Master's Thesis from the year 2024 in the subject Urban and Regional Planning, grade: Very good, , course: Urban and regional development planning, language: English, abstract: This study was intended to examine the impact of infrastructure development projects in creating jobs and reducing poverty by taking Fiche town in focus. The study was specifically driven by three objectives: to assess the direct and indirect job creation potential of infrastructure projects, to examine the impact of infrastructure project on poverty reduction and to investigate factors influencing the effectiveness of infrastructure projects in promoting job creation and poverty reduction in the study area. To this end, the study employed mixed research approach. Quantitative data was edited, coded and entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version of 23 and analyzed accordingly. Besides, qualitative data was duly transcribed, edited, coded, and categorized into its respective themes and analyzed thematically. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage and means were computed to present results and discussion of the study. Inferential statistics regression and ANOVA were computed to check independent and dependent variables used in the study. The issue of examining the impact of infrastructure development projects in creating jobs and reducing poverty is becoming development agenda and simultaneously untapped area of research concern. Despite considerable efforts made by the government to expand infrastructure development projects in some regards, the problem of equal coverage, its quality, creating job opportunity and reducing poverty has almost been equivalent. This study reveals that there was the expansion of infrastructure development projects in the study area during the past four years (2020-2024). While expanding these infrastructures, job opportunities have been created for the unemployed youth both as permanent and temporary forms. Although the distribution and the amount expected does not match with the emerging demands over time, significant changes have been achieved in this sector. To realize the ultimate goals of infrastructure development projects, this study recommends that as far as the issue of infrastructure is developmental issue, concerned bodies should be integrated to ensure access, quality at all levels, proper participation of all stakeholders in formulating and implementing community-tailor policy on their issues to achieve long lasting infrastructures both in terms of job opportunities and poverty reduction in all aspects.