Project Management Skills and Implementation of Educational Infrastructure Projects Funded by Constituency Development Fund in Public Secondary Schools in Mandera East, Kenya.

Abstract

Globally sustainable education infrastructure project is key in numerous countries including Kenya. Attributed to the challenges within project attaining proper implementation of educational infrastructure has become a challenge. This research therefore aims at investigation on how Project Management Skills have influenced execution of Educational Infrastructure Project Funded By Constituency Development Fund In Public Secondary Schools In Mandera East, Kenya. The research had specific objectives of establishing how planning and forecasting; ; risk management; budgeting; tracking and meeting facilitation influence implementation of educational infrastructure projects funded by the constituency development fund in public secondary schools in Mandera East, Kenya. This research is beneficial to the educational ministry for purposes of revising training programmes to incorporate training on project management. further, the research outcome is critical in enabling policy makers at government and educational level to make informed decision on issues related to project implementation The researcher use descriptive research design to illustrate occurrences that are currently in existence by embracing both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The research targeted a total population 198 participants. Proportionate and stratified sampling methodologies were used by the researcher for purpose of ascertaining correct proportionate and sample size in each classification while Slovene’s (1978). Was used to attain the sample size of 131 who comprised of 47 project management committee, 24 local administrators, 23 school principals, 10 CDF managers, 1 county director of education and 26 project contractors. Primary data (qualitative and quantitative) will be captured via questionnaires having open and closed ended question which will be administered through pick and drop method while those completed will be picked immediately. To establish validity, opinion will be sought from supervisor or colleague. To test reliability, test – retest methods will be used and be administered two times for five project managers. Second administration of questionnaires will be done after two weeks. Correlation coefficient will be use in examining the extent to which contents of the questions asked were unswerving in generating same response each time questionnaire was issued out. Consent was sought from respondents before data collection and the major aim of the research was explained expansively. Participants was assured of their confidentiality and thus their names was not be captured on the questionnaire. Data was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Likert scale was adopted to gather qualitative data and analyzed descriptively depending on attributes on question to be analyzed while quantitative data was coded. Data will be presented in form of frequency tables and hypothesis tested using correlation coefficient. In conclusion, the research established that skills used by project managers in the implementation of educational infrastructure project funded by CDF in public secondary school in Mandera East were ineffective thus the research recommends that project managers should acquire skills pertaining to planning and forecasting, risk management, budgeting, tracking and monitoring and meeting facilitation in order to enhance effective and efficient implementation of educational CDF funded project with Mandera East.