Determinants for Adoption of Quality Management System in Project Implementation: a Case of Nyandarua County Government Construction Projects, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish determinants for adoption of Quality Management System, by assessing the extent to which the system can resolve Projects Implementation challenges in the construction of County Government’s projects. The study was designed to analyze the role of Quality Monitoring and Evaluation and Quality Planning adoption in projects’ implementation to resolve construction projects’ challenges within the county. The survey’ theoretical framework was premised on the Total Quality Management theories of Joseph Juran, Philip B. Crosby, and the International Organization of Standardization models for Quality Management System. The research was conducted in Ol-Kalou Sub-County with a sample size of 104 respondents. Purposive sampling technique was utilized to reach out to the top management and key informant suppliers while, random sampling was used to pick lower carder employees. Using Descriptive survey design, an analysis of relationships’ significance was done which yielded measures of central tendencies such as mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, frequency, percentages and coefficient of correlation. The null hypothesis which assumed that benefits of introducing Quality Management System in Construction Projects were not significant to the challenges experienced in the construction of County Projects was rejected. The study found out that Monitoring and Evaluation challenges underscored the county’s weaknesses especially where projects are not properly monitored. Quality Planning was necessary in supporting quality improvement on time, cost and project quality. Besides, determinants for Adoption of Quality Management System in Project Implementation were found to be a necessary system for county governments to adopt. The study realized that challenges of Quality projects can be addressed by Quality Planning, quality monitoring and evaluation, Innovating Organizational Context and Quality Training. The study recommends that there is need for the County Government to introduce Quality Planning to ensure they save on project cost, time and quality.