Adequacy of Project Managers and Project Management Practices in Construction Projects in Rwanda

Abstract

The construction industry is among the leading sectors in economic growth of Rwanda. However, most of the construction projects fail to maintain their schedules, and remain within budgetary limits; this is despite existence of project management practices which have been introduced in construction. Generally, this study aimed to investigate the adequacy of project managers and project management practices in construction projects in Rwanda. To achieve the study goal, the specific objectives were: to establish the context of project management practices that are applied in Rwanda; to identify the qualities of effective project managers and applicable project management practices; to develop a project management framework. Literature revealed that a construction project get success if it’s management is appreciated. An effective project manager should be good in interpersonal practices and competent in project planning and scheduling. The person in charge of management has to know the tools and technique used in project management. In this study, both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were employed. The methods included: semi structured interviews, questionnaires and critical review of literature which were triangulated to build coherent justification for various themes. The population from which the sample was taken is all Rwanda Public Procurement Authority (RPPA) registered contractors, consultants and promoters depending on type of construction projects, 99 participants were representing the sampling firms and institutions. Data analysis techniques employed include descriptive statistics for quantitative data got from structural interviews. It was found that 85.86 % of respondents confirmed that they applied project management practices in their daily assignments. However, 74.7 % got skills from experience. Therefore, majority in the industry are not professional managers. Construction planning like risk plan and communication plan are not done satisfactorily, and the weak participation of project promoters in risk management is referred as a hindrance of project management in Rwanda. Previous researches revealed that the best organizational structure is project-based and matrix while it was found that in Rwanda the functional structure is the dominant one, yet it is not suitable in multidisplinary projects. The study concluded that it requires some interpersonal skills for an effective project manager to deliver successful a project. From the findings few management practices are applied, and the project managers practicing are not professionals, acquired skills from school or professional trainings. The contractors and consultants are recommended to encourage their engineers to go for management classes or profession trainings to improve the construction industry.