Project Management Practices and Implementation of Public Health Programs in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of project management practices on the implementation of public health programs in Kenya’s Nairobi County. The study9s specific objectives were to assess the extent of stakeholder participation in public health programs in Nairobi County, to determine the difficulties that project planning faces when public health programs are conducted in Nairobi County, to evaluate how scope definition affects the success of public health program implementation in Nairobi County and to assess how well monitoring and evaluation procedures ensure that the objectives and results of public health programs in Nairobi County are met. The study was guided by Stakeholder theory, project Planning Theory and monitoring and evaluation theory. The target population was 2604 employees working under public health programs within Nairobi County. The sample size was 384. Data collection was done through a questionnaire. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used for data analysis. The study employed thematic analysis to analyze qualitative data. ANOVA, Correlation analysis, and Inferential Statistics Regression Analysis were used to determine the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The findings of descriptive statistics demonstrated important connections between successful stakeholder engagement and communication throughout the project’s design phase, as well as their connection to target accuracy Mean (3.7251) SD of 0.988.This shows that respondents are likely to agree with the assertion that involving stakeholders in the planning process of a public health program is a good idea. With a particular focus on difficulties that programs face during the implementation phase of project planning the study revealed that resource allocation (mean rank 4.85) and risk mitigation (mean rank 4.58), are the main challenges experienced throughout the project design phase of public health programs in Nairobi County. Notably, "Monitoring and Evaluation" (B1 = 0.897, p<0.001) is continuously shown to have a strong and highly significant positive connection with program implementation across all models, emphasizing its crucial function. Each model also shows a positive and statistically significant association with the introduction of "Project Planning" (B2 = 0.128, p < 0.001), highlighting the significance of this component to the success of programs. Although their coefficients are positive, "Stakeholder Engagement" (B3: = 0.057, p < 0.161) and "Scope Definition" (B4: = -0.041, p<0.161) show less certain impacts, showing that their contribution may need further investigation. The study recommends that project managers should enhance Stakeholder Engagement Strategies by making investments in more comprehensive and inclusive stakeholder engagement strategies given the positive correlation between stakeholder involvement and project performance. During the planning stage of public health programs, organizations should give priority to thorough risk management measures. This involves in-depth risk analysis, preventative mitigation strategies, and ongoing monitoring to guarantee that any potential issues are dealt with on time. Organizations should set up solid mechanisms for continuous monitoring and evaluation throughout the project’s lifespan given the strong and extremely significant positive relationship between "Monitoring and Evaluation" and the effectiveness of program implementation. This entails setting up distinct performance metrics, gathering pertinent information, and routinely evaluating progress.