STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION AND PERFORMANCE OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN KILIFI COUNTY, KENYA
STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION AND PERFORMANCE OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN KILIFI COUNTY, KENYA
Kochola Edwin Omondi - Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Project Management) Student of Kenyatta University, Kenya
Dr. Kaburu Kinoti - Lecturer, Department of Management Science of Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Performance is a matter of utmost importance to scholars and practitioners in the field of project management. In today’s global environment, most organisations are constantly looking for ways to improve their organisations in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and project performance. In Kenya, majority of road construction projects don’t get completed within the set timelines. These delays affect the development of a country but more so the impacts are felt heavily on the society where the projects are targeted and the parties involved in the execution of the projects. This study aimed to investigate on the influence of stakeholders’ participation on the performance of road constructions projects in Kilifi County. The study was guided by the following objectives; to determine the effect of project identification on the performance of road construction, to determine the effect of project planning on the performance of road construction. Stakeholders Theory and the Theory of Reasoned Action were used to give a deeper meaning to this study. The target population of this study was 150 respondents selected from the various populations of the constituencies where road construction is mainly concentrated in Kilifi County. A total of 10 project managers in these road construction projects also formed part of the respondents. Descriptive research design was adopted in this study where SPSS was used as a tool and descriptive statistics used for the analysis. The study relied on primary data which was both quantitative and qualitative. Questionnaire was the main method of collecting data. The collected data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using tables, charts, means, frequencies and percentages. It was established that stakeholder participation at project identification, project planning, project implementation and project monitoring significantly influenced the performance of road construction projects in Kilifi County, Kenya. The study concluded that the road construction projects to a significant extent embraced stakeholder participation in assessing, analyzing and selecting the viable, tenable and beneficial road projects to most of the citizens in the region. The study concluded that that to a moderate extent the stakeholders were involved in planning of the road construction projects to enhance efficiency, cooperation and effectiveness in project implementation. The study recommends that the project management team needs to sensitize the relevant stakeholders on the significance of them participating in the project lifecycle. The study recommends that it is necessary for the road construction projects to be society or citizen-centered in order to address the needs and expectations of the masses.
