Project Management Practices and Implementation of Mogombet Water Supply Project in Bomet County, Kenya

Abstract

The motivation for this investigation stemmed from the observation that numerous water projects in the county fell short of meeting the criteria for effective project execution due to inadequate project management methodologies. Specifically, the study sought to understand the influence of project planning on the implementation of the Mogombet Water Supply Project in Bomet County. The primary aim of this research study was to explore the impact of project management strategies on the community water projects undertaken by Bomet County. Additionally, it delved into the effects of stakeholder involvement, assessed the impact of project monitoring and evaluation, and evaluated the effects of project team competence. The target audience for this study comprised 132 employees from various departments of interest within Bomet County, as well as local leaders who actively contributed to the development of the Mogombet Water Supply Project. The specific composition of the target group included twelve steering committee members, 48 community leaders, 52 monitoring and evaluation employees, 10 project officers, 4 project engineers, and 6 project managers. The sample size, calculated based on Yamane's (1967) formula, was determined to be 99 respondents. To gather the core data for the research, structured questionnaires were employed, featuring a combination of open-ended and closed-ended questions designed to capture the respondents' independent cognitive processes. The responses were analyzed using a 5-point Likert scale, and basic coding was applied. Subsequently, a regression model was constructed, and data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) software due to the substantial volume of data. The primary objective of this research was to provide proactive advice to the project implementing agent regarding the impact of project governance methods on the implementation of community water initiatives in Bomet County. The intent was to ensure that project management practices are consistently considered throughout the entire project life cycle. The findings of the research indicated a positive impact on the Mogombet Water Supply Project in Bomet County when utilizing effective project management approaches.