Project Management Practices and Implementation of County-Funded Road Projects in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

Government projects are vital to the citizens, who are the primary beneficiaries. Funded projects seek to address socio-economic developmental challenges facing the marginalized population. Therefore, such projects’ failure brings with it a profound negative socio-economic impact to the project beneficiaries. Pretorius, Steyn, and Jordaan (2012) report that fewer projects globally are completed within budget or meet original goals and business objectives. The general objective of this study was to examine the influence of project management practices in implementing county-funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to establish the relationship between project planning and implementation of county-funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County, to assess the relationship between project team management and implementation of county-funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County, to determine the relationship between project monitoring and evaluation and implementation of county funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County, to find out the relationship between project stakeholder involvement and implementation of county-funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County and to determine the moderating effect of government regulation on implementation of county-funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County. The study was guided by the Resource-Based View Theory, Goal Setting Theory and Institutional Theory. The positivist philosophy was used to drive the study. The research used a descriptive survey to establish conclusions about how project management practices influence the delivery of county-funded road improvements in Uasin Gishu County. The study was conducted in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. According to the Uasin Gishu County report (2023), there were a total of 250 employees in the management-level positions under the Ministry of Roads and Public Works. The unit of analysis was therefore County-Funded Road Projects in Uasin Gishu County, while the unit of observation was 250 management employees. The research employed Taro Yamane’s (1967) sample size calculation, assuming a 5% error term. The research picked 153 people from a target sample of 250 employees. Employees who work on road construction in Uasin-Gishu County make up the majority of this group. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data, whereas descriptive and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and stepwise regression analysis) were used in analysing quantitative data with the help of the SPSS statistical software. The study used a 95% confidence level. Based on the findings, the study concluded that project planning positively and significantly influences the implementation of county-funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County. In addition, the study concluded that project team management positively and significantly influences the implementation of county-funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County. Further, the study concluded that project monitoring and evaluation positively and significantly influences implementation of county-funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County. The study also concluded that project stakeholder involvement positively and significantly influences the implementation of county-funded road projects in Uasin Gishu County. The study concludes that Government regulation has a significant moderating effect on the influence of implementation of county-funded xxiii road projects in Uasin Gishu County. This study, therefore, recommended that the Uasin Gishu County should prioritise project planning, project team management, project monitoring and evaluation, and project stakeholder involvement.