Determinants of Project Implementation in the Public Sector: The Case of Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company

Abstract

Project management a strategic competency for an organization, enabling them to tie the project results to business goals and thus better compete in their markets. The purpose of the study was to find out the determinants of projects implementation in the public sector, with specific focus on Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company. The objectives of the study were: to establish the effect of resource planning in project implementation by Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company; to examine the extent to which client involvement influences project implementation by Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company; to explore the extent to which corporate management in Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company influences project implementation. A descriptive design was appropriate for this study as it enabled the researcher to investigate the target population and establish the issues under investigation. The study established that most challenging element experienced in terms of resource planning in this organization is inadequate dialogue with interlinked agencies early in project preparatory stages; most challenging element experienced in terms of client involvement in this organization is poor project handover interface;  Management inability to anticipate short-term disruptions: inability to encourage creativity and resourcefulness; inability to reveal the fulfillment of short-term deliverables to the beneficiaries; inadequate work inspection and poor relations between engineers and contractors are an impediment to project implementation in the organization; payment documentations and approval procedures; compliance to statutory regulations difference in reporting formats and time frames and funds transfer and disbursement processes are an impediment to successful project implementation to a large extent. Adequate factors of production need to be optimized and timely deployed in the process of generating value projects. The study recommends that client involvement at earlier stage in the project implementation process need to be enhanced as it remains of ultimate importance to determine whether the clients for whom the project has been initiated will accept it without their involvement; organizations need to comply with specific conditions to avoid predictability in terms of budget aid and donors have a basis for becoming partners if they are able to agree on a purpose.