PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PUBLIC PROJECTS IN MOMBASA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The performance of most projects in Kenya fails to meet the expected goal based on time and 
cost indicators. More than seventy percent of the implemented projects recorded time and 
cost variations. Most of Kenya’s urban construction sector projects fail to achieve their 
objectives despite the many rules, regulations and the quality training of the consultants. In 
2013, Mombasa County failed to deliver on its development public projects to the tune of 
fifty-seven percent. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of project 
management practices on performance of the public projects in Mombasa County in Kenya. 
Specifically, the study sought to examine the effect of planning, financial management 
practices, stakeholders’ involvement, project team competence and monitoring and 
evaluation on the performance of the public projects in Mombasa County in Kenya. The 
study anchored on systems theory as the core theory for the study. The study adopted 
descriptive research design. Data was collected using open and closed ended questionnaires 
from a target population of 189. The sampling was done by use of a stratified sampling 
procedure and the sample size was 66 project officers. The questionnaires were conveyed to 
the respondents through the drop and pick technique. A pilot study was conducted on 
nineteen project officers from the target population who did not participate in the study. The 
data reliability was determined by using the test-retest technique and the Cronbach Alpha was 
used to test internal consistency of the items in the questionnaire. The data was analysed by 
use of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Qualitative data was analysed using content 
analysis. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The 
findings indicated that planning, financial management practices, monitoring and evaluation, 
project team competences and stakeholder’s involvement had a relationship with the 
performance of public projects in Mombasa county. The study concluded that the 
performance of the project is partly caused by the planning, financial management practices, 
monitoring and evaluation, project management team competencies and stakeholder’s 
involvement. It is recommended that the public sector hires competent project managers who 
have the qualifications in project management in order to carry out proper planning and 
management of projects. It is also recommended that other factors affecting performance of 
projects be studied within Mombasa county as well as in the entire republic of Kenya. The 
findings of the study are useful to the government and policy makers, project managers, 
consultants and external stakeholders.