Stakeholder Participation and Performance of Road Construction Projects in Kisii County, Kenya
Authors: Monyoncho Ruth Nyaserema; Kaburu Franklin Kinoti
Year: 2023

: Road projects have a crucial part to play in the economic advancement and progress of any nation as they facilitating wealth generation and creation of job opportunities. Their performance must be achieved to meet the expected goals by the project stakeholder. However, some projects bring disappointment after investment. County Government of Kisii has previously had heavily invested in road construction projects, aimed to enhance transportation and improve the economy. In analyzing of its project success rate, many have experience quality complaints, over budget and overtime. So as a result, this research targeted to determine the impact of stakeholder participation against progression of Kisii county’s construction projects on roads. Further, the research, aimed to provide feedback that can be useful to improve project performance. This research was rooted on three theories including; Diffusion Innovation Theory, Stakeholder Theory and Resource Based View Theory. A research design in the form of descriptive was utilized where population targeted included 45 road construction projects, and 65 project managers, road engineers, contractors, technical auditors, surveyors, consultants and community representatives as the unit of analysis respectively. The instrument for data collection was a semi-structured questionnaire in nature. Data was then analyzed using SPSS and MS Excel, where inferential statistics as well as descriptive were performed. The Cronbach's Alpha values of all variables above 0.7 indicated excellent applicability of the research instrument. The R-square value in multi-regression analysis shows a significant correlation of 78.6% level of variability in the dependent variable as determined by the independent variables in the model. Descriptive statistical analysis of stakeholder participation in Kisii road projects showed mean ratings that were consistently high on project identification, project implementation, and project monitoring. However, the project planning stage depicted that stakeholders were engaged only up to an extent after which they were ignored. As per the correlation and regression analysis, stakeholder engagement in project identification, project monitoring, project implementation, and project planning exhibited the strong correlation with project performance. The study therefore, recommends project to be aligned with the needs of the stakeholders, who in turn help in the determination of risks that would otherwise affect every other stage of the project cycle. Project team should implement a project portfolio management strategy that would allow systematic evaluation, ranking, and selection of projects based on their strategic fit, resource requirements, and expected returns. The study advised that risk assessment and mitigation strategies must be devised to proactively address potential challenges, and a realistic project timeline with achievable milestones should be set. More so, to develop strategies, and have a detailed facilitation schedule and a budget to be utilized throughout the project cycle. Also, develop a well-structured project management framework that defines roles, responsibilities, and communication channels among team members. Additionally, implement a comprehensive project plan that includes detailed task assignments, timelines, and dependencies, along with contingency plans for potential setbacks. Foster a collaborative and inclusive work culture that encourages open dialogue, knowledge sharing, and problem-solving. The study also recommends a real-time project management tracking mechanisms to capture and analyze data regularly to enable quick identification of deviations from the plan. Lastly, the study recommends to foster a culture of open communication and transparency among team members to encourage them report concerns promptly.