Project management practices and project Implementation in public TVET institutions in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the influence project management practices have on project implementation in public TVET institutions in Nairobi County, Kenya, due to limited empirical evidence on the phenomenon. The dynamics of measuring the success of public projects have evolved over the years and become more complex and integrated. Assessing time, cost, and quality, collectively known as the triple constraint model, is no longer enough to determine project success. This is because public projects are complex and have numerous different stakeholders who may not have the same definition of success. Therefore, ensuring success in all aspects of managing a public project is essential, which is why project management practices are paramount and becoming more popular. The application of project management practices has been shown to improve the success of projects. However, their effectiveness has not been tested well in regard to projects in public TVET institutions. For this reason, this study sought to fill this gap by examining project management practices and implementation of projects in public TVET institutions in Nairobi County, Kenya. The project management practices – project planning, project team competence, communication, and risk management –formed the independent variables, with the implementation of projects in public TVET institutions serving as the dependent variable. Hoshin's model, project management competency framework, functional theory of communication, and risk management theory made up the study’s theoretical framework. The study adopted an explanatory research design and was conducted in public TVET institutions in Nairobi County. The target population for the study constituted Ministry of Education officials, top management of public TVET institutions, and staff members of each institution who were selected using a multistage sampling approach. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive (measures of central tendency, measures of frequency, and measures of dispersion) and inferential statistics (correlation analysis and regression analysis). The study found that all four project management practices, project planning (p=.000), project team competence (p=.023), communication (p=.037), and risk management (p=.026) have significant positive effect on project implementation. Therefore, this research concluded that planning, project team competence, communication, and risk management are significant predictors of projects success in public TVET institutions in Nairobi County. The study urges future research to explore other types of project management practices and how they influence project implementation.