Project Stakeholder Management and Performance of World Bank Funded Projects in Kenya

Abstract

The World Bank has been a key supporter of development projects in Kenya, financing various sectors such as transport, energy, water, urban development, health, public sector management, and social protection since 1960. Infrastructure development has played a crucial role in determining a country's overall productivity and economic development. However, the performance of World Bank funded projects in Kenya has been a matter of concern due to delays and limited stakeholder consultation, impacting their effectiveness negatively. Previous studies had focused on specific aspects of project stakeholder management, neglecting a holistic assessment of its influence on project performance. To address this gap, this study aimed to examine the influence of project stakeholder management on the performance of World Bank funded projects in Kenya. The specific objectives were to establish the influence of stakeholder identification on performance; determine the influence of stakeholder planning on performance; examine the influence of stakeholder monitoring on performance; and to determine the influence of project leadership on performance of World Bank funded projects in Kenya. Additionally, the study evaluated the moderating role of project environment enablers in the relationship between project stakeholder management and project performance. The study drew on five theories, including Stakeholder Theory, Management Theory of Project Management, Program Theory, Contingency Theory, and Control Theory. Adopting a positivism philosophy, the research employed a cross-sectional survey design and primary data was collected using questionnaires. The unit of analysis was the World Bank funded projects implemented in Kenya while the unit of observation was project team members who were involved in the implementation of the World Bank funded projects. Therefore, the target population for the research was 310 respondents comprising of project managers, project coordinators, project supervisors, project monitoring & evaluation officials and officials from the National Treasury involved in the implementation of these projects. The overall sample size for this study was 155 respondents. This study employed simple random sampling to select the study sample. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages, mean, and standard deviation were used to describe the characteristics of the variables. Multiple regression models established relationships between the variables. The research instruments were validated through a pilot study. The findings indicate significant relationships between stakeholder management and project performance in World Bank funded projects. Stakeholder identification, stakeholder planning, stakeholder monitoring and project leadership all significantly influenced project performance. Moreover, the interaction between stakeholder management and project environment had a moderating effect on project performance. In conclusion, effective stakeholder identification, planning, monitoring, and project leadership play vital roles in project success. The project environment acts as a moderator, influencing the relationship between stakeholder management and project performance. Based on the results, it is recommended to adopt robust stakeholder management practices, enhance project planning and monitoring efforts, strengthen project leadership skills, and consider the project environment's impact to improve the outcomes of World Bank funded projects. These measures can contribute to better project performance and overall success. In addition, future research should be carried out to focus on other donor funded projects, which are also essential to economic growth and development. A similar study should be carried out to assess other factors that could be missing in the performance of World Bank Funded projects