Project Initiation Practices and Performance of Government Construction Projects in Kenya

Abstract

Construction projects failures are increasingly reported around the globe and achieving success of construction projects is becoming extremely difficult in today’s turbulent environment. Despite the current developments in project management processes and tools, project success rate has failed to significantly improve due to challenges that are traceable to factors that should have been addressed at project initiation stage. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between project initiation practices and performance of government construction projects in Kenya by focusing on five objectives; to establish the relationship between risk identification, scope definition, project feasibility study, project team selection and performance of construction projects and the moderating role of resource mobilization. The study was guided specifically by four theories; prospect, theory of constraint, theory of change and project management competency theory. The study adopted a conceptual framework to illustrate the relationship between the independent variable (project initiation practices) and dependent variable (performance of construction projects). The study used a cross sectional research design and research Positivism philosophy. The unit of observation was the project managers while the unit of analysis was the construction projects in the ministry of transport, infrastructure, housing and urban development. The target population was 320 government construction projects. Simple random sampling was used to select 178 construction project that formed the sample size. Data was collected using semi- structured questionnaire. After the data was collected, it was subjected to editing, handling blank responses, coding categorizing and keyed into statistical package for social science computer software for analysis version 24. The study adopted descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The data was presented using tables, charts and graphs. The response rate of the study was 88.2%. The study found that there was significant corresponding change in project performance for every change in all the five variables jointly. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that risk identification, project scope definition, project feasibility study, project team selection and resource mobilization had a positive and significant relationship with performance of construction projects in Kenya. Further it was established that resource mobilization had an influence on project performance and it is very essential during project commencement meaning it was good moderator to moderate the relationship between project initiation practices and project performance. The study recommends that project managers and all the stakeholders need to embrace risk identification during the project initiation stage as a way of ensuring that any risks that could occur and affect the successful implementation of the projects are reported and mitigated early enough. Further the project managers ought to embrace definition of project scope right at the initial stages of the project by deriving well-articulated project objectives and setting clear derivable which aligned to the objectives of the project. In addition, the study also recommends the need to undertake a project feasibility study before a project commences and is also a need to conduct an effective process of selecting the project team to ensure the right project team is selected. The study recommended that future research should be carried out to focus on other categories of projects, which are also essential in economic growth and development.