| dc.description.abstract | Time and cost overruns on infrastructure development projects during implementation
continue to pose great challenges to developing countries. Research has found that, there
are many factors that impede on successful completion of projects on time, budget, and
quality. This study sought to investigate on the factors that significantly contributed to
time and cost overruns on power projects implemented by KenGen, evaluate their relative
ranking, and to quantify their impacts.
The study was based on a questionnaire survey among persons drawn from contractors,
consultants and KenGen, involved in the implementation of one or more of the four
projects in the study. The results together with the empirical data from the three
completed projects were presented.
Thirty-three variables were identified as significant in contributing to overruns. Factor
analysis revealed eight underlying factors namely; contractor inabilities, improper project
preparation, resource planning, interpretation of requirements, works definition,
timeliness, government bureaucracy, and risk allocation as having been significant
contributors to overruns. On ranking, government bureaucracy topped the list while risk
allocation was shown to have been least significant. There was also a perception that
these factors would recur on KenGen's future projects under similar implementation
environment. The identifiable quantitative impacts of time and cost associated with the
factors on the completed projects were presenfed together with overall time and cost
overruns on the projects.
The study led to conclusions that, there were identifiable variables and underlying factors
that contributed to time and cost overruns during the implementation of the four power
projects. These revelations should enable planners to take stock of past performance and
incorporate lessons learned on future projects planning and implementation. The
variables and underlying factors have potential of recurring in future projects. Therefore,
there is need to anticipate their occurrence, and to continually design appropriate
strategies and mechanisms to overcome or minimize their potential impacts. Government
bureaucracy was seen to have been the lead factor in contributing to the overruns. There
were time and cost overruns on all the four projects led by Olkaria II. Risk associated to
these factors should continually be assessed through the various stages of the project life
cycle, determined, and appropriate contingencies adopted | en |
