Abstract:
The Agricultural growth projects in Jimma Zone have been efficient and effective in projects delivery.
Considerable percentages of projects are completed within schedule. This informed the purpose of the
proposed study, which is to examine project critical success, factors and success of Agricultural
Growth Projects in Jimma Zone. The study employed a mixed method approach, which embraced both
qualitative and quantitative approaches including hypothesis testing. The target populations for the
study comprised of 500 households which are drawn from seven woredas of Jimma Zone, which
benefited from the Agricultural Growth Program. Goma, and Gera woredas that sample 260-sample
representative of total population is drawn. The study will use a questionnaire and an interview
schedule as the main instruments of data collection. Quantitative data are analyzed using descriptive
and inferential statistics and presented in frequency tables while qualitative data are presented in
narrative form. Hypotheses are tested using linear regression at 0.05 levels of significance to
determine the degree and direction of relationships among variables. Hypotheses were tested using
multiple linear regressions at 0.05 levels of significance to determine the degree and direction of
relationships among variables. The study attained Cranach Alpha of coefficient of 0.96 for all items
implying that the instrument was reliable. The results showed that statically significant influence of
combined critical success factors on project success. The multiple correlation coefficient was .98,
indicating approximately 97% of the variance of the project success could be accounted for by Human,
Project, Stakeholder collaboration, Organization, Project phase and External environment related
factors. Based on ranking Human related factors at beta value .49, Stakeholder collaboration related
factors at beta value .46, Project related factors at beta value .44, Organization related factors at beta
value .42, Project phase related factors at beta value .22 and External environment related factors at
beta .06 are critical success factors, which are success agricultural growth project performance in
Jimma Zone. This calls for develop project manager’s technical expertise, commitment, timely
communication and consistence to project work. In order to carried out project within schedule in
adherence to budget, in the required quality and satisfy customers timely availability of funds,
materials and equipment are a prerequisite. Policy guideline integrating critical aspects that, influence
agricultural growth projects completion / success performance are the suggested strategies. To
guarantee success in performance of agricultural growth projects, critical success factors in this study