Determination of factors influencing project delays in Water projects in Kenya: The case of government funded projects

Abstract

This report presents the findings of a case study on factors influencing project delays in water projects in the Ministry of Water Resources. The research was conducted at the Ministry Headquarters in the period between May 21 st and July 23 rd 1999. The Principal objectives of the study were to identify factors that influence project delays in water projects and to formulate strategies to address this problem. A census of all the projects known to have been completed between January 15t 1993 and December 315t 1998 was carried out. The findings revealed the following factors to be influential in water project delays. These, in order of their degree of influence are:- quality of project management, operating environment, motivation of workers, infrastructure, inadequate resources, and organization of the project team. From the contents of the cluster of statements from which the factors were derived, definition of each of these factors was established. This is found in the summary section of the report. From the analysis of the responses, the following strategies were recommended:¬restructuring of the Ministry of Water Resources; establishment of a special committee responsible for all water projects in the Ministry ensuring resource requirements for the project will be availed when needed before project managers begin the implementation process, privatization of water projects in the country, establishment of an anti-corruption unit within the Ministry, sensitizing project teams on importance of time, enhancing training for project managers and providing project officers in the field with mobile phones. It was recommended by the researcher that a rational professional body of project nanagement should be launched to facilitate good project management practices and instill discipline and professionalism in the management of projects.