PROJECT PLANNING PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS AT KENYA ELECTRICITY GENERATING COMPANY (KENGEN)
Stella Wangari Njoroge - Master of Science in Project Management Post Graduate Student, School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
Dr. Yusuf Muchelule (PhD) - Lecturer, School of Business and Economics, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Dr. Susan Naikuru (PhD) - Lecturer, School of Business and Economics, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Purpose: Project planning is widely recognized as a critical determinant of project success, particularly in large-scale infrastructure projects where effective coordination of project scope, objectives, schedules, and resources is essential for achieving organizational goals. Despite significant investments in project management practices, civil engineering projects at the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) continue to experience schedule delays, budget overruns, scope changes, and challenges in achieving intended project outcomes. This study examined the influence of project planning practices on the performance of civil engineering projects at KenGen. Specifically, the study evaluated the effects of project scope definition and management, project objectives and goal clarity, schedule and timeline management, and budget planning and resource allocation on project performance. The study was anchored on Project Management Theory, Goal-Setting Theory, and the Resource-Based View Theory. Methodology: A positivist research philosophy and descriptive cross-sectional survey design were adopted. The target population comprised 250 employees involved in civil engineering projects at KenGen, from which a sample of 154 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained through semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis with the aid of SPSS Version 26. Findings: Project planning practices had positive and statistically significant effects on project performance (R=0.864 and adjusted R2=0.739) as their p-values were less than 0.05. Schedule and timeline management emerged as the strongest predictor of project performance with standardized beta coefficient (β = 0.345, t = 5.707, p < 0.001), followed by project objectives and goal clarity (β = 0.274, t = 4.613, p < 0.001), project scope definition and management (β = 0.236, t = 4.085, p < 0.001), and budget planning and resource allocation (β = 0.209, t = 3.875, p < 0.001). The study concluded that strengthening of project planning practices significantly enhances timely project completion, budget compliance, achievement of project objectives, and overall project success. Recommendation: The study recommends institutionalizing comprehensive planning frameworks, strengthening stakeholder participation, enhancing schedule monitoring, and improving resource planning mechanisms to increase the performance of infrastructure projects.