Constraints affecting project funds utilization in water service boards in Kenya: a case of Tana Water Services Board
Abstract
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives (Chatfield, 2007).The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals (Lewis R. Ireland (2006) and objectives while honoring the preconceived project constraints (Joseph Phillips (2003). Typical constraints are scope, time, and budget. The secondary and more ambitious challenge is to optimize the allocation and integration of inputs necessary to meet pre-defined objectives (Chatfield, 2007).
The objectives of the study was to; examine whether funding requirements influences project funds utilization in water service Boards in Kenya; to establish to what extent Institutional capacity influences project funds utilization in water service boards in Kenya; to determine if management information systems influences project funds utilization in water service boards in Kenya and lastly to assess whether sector policy framework influences project funds utilization in water service boards in Kenya The study was carried out Tana Water Services Board in Nyeri and involved studying four capital projects.
The study used closed and open-ended questionnaires to collect data and regression analysis to find the association between funding requirements, institutional capacity, management information system and policy Framework and project fund utilization of projects funds in Water Service Boards. Forecasting model was developed and tested for accuracy in obtaining predictions. The finding of the study indicated that the model was significant. This is demonstrated in the part of the analysis where R2 for the association between Funding Requirements, Institutional Capacity, Management Information system and Policy Framework and project fund utilization of projects funds in Water Service Boards was 84.3%.
All the independent variables were also linearly related with the dependent variable thus a model of four predictor variables could be used to rate project fund utilization of projects funds in Water Service Boards thus the study showed that there exist a significant relationship between funding requirements, institutional capacity, management information system and policy framework and project fund utilization of projects funds in Water Service Boards The study recommends that the actors in the water sector should strive to build capacity for long term implementation of project and create sectors specific systems. The development partners should also try and improve assurance of funds by adopting longer funding cycles whereas the GOK should harmonize registration touching on water, sewerage and sanitation with the Water Act 2002 to minimize conflicts
Publisher
University of Nairobi, Kenya