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Purpose: 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. Design/Methodology/Approach: 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. 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. Practical implication: 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. Theoretical implication: The study demonstrates the utility of the ILAC framework, originally developed in the agricultural research context, for analysing development projects at the micro level. Originality/Value: 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.

Tea is a typical beverage that has been consumed worldwide. A large number of brands of this beverage are available in the market. This study looked into the consumer preference for the attributes of selected, packed tea products available in the market. The study focused on attributes such as brand, price, strength and tea package. Conjoint analysis with an orthogonal design assessed consumer preference for different tea brands. The results showed that packaging was the attribute most preferred by the consumers (importance score of 36.083), followed by the brand of the Tea (31.084) and the strength of the Tea (21.518). The least preferred attribute was the price of the branded Tea. Further, the findings also revealed optimum attribute combination among the existing tea products in the market. The results of this study will be helpful to tea growers and will significantly advance research on beverages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network structures have drawn a lot of research interest in recent years. However, little is known about how the diversity, complexity, and structure of the multi-actor networks associated with a project shapes information exchange and linkages in different contexts. This study, conducted in 2017, addresses this deficiency by analyzing the social networks in three villages, and it was directly set up in response to operationalizing a smallholder dairy development project. Social network analysis was used to characterize the networks and to look into network configuration and information exchange dynamics. Data were collected through household-level interviews with the project's participant farmers and key project stakeholders, supplemented with other Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques. Analysis focused on network visualization and estimation of specific network parameters for comparison. Results indicated that public sector actors were the key drivers in all these smallholder networks. Flow of information was favored both vertically and horizontally in the network, which was configured at a later stage, rather than in the project piloting stages, owing to unique actor alignment and multiplicity of ties. The networks were also found to vary in terms of some of the network attributes, signaling varying levels of network integration and brokerage potential. Better cohesiveness and information spread was observed in the network, which had the right mix of information acquisition and exchange networks. The study offers valuable lessons with respect to connectedness of network actors, need for multi-actor alliance, and implication of centrality measures in determining network dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]