Factors influencing completion of the academic model providing access to healthcare projects in Uasin Gishu county, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing completion of the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) projects in Uasin Gishu County. AMPATH is a collaboration between Moi University College of Health Sciences, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and a consortium of North American academic health centers led by Indiana University working in partnership with the Government of Kenya in the provision of research and healthcare in HIV/AIDS, Primary Healthcare and Chronic Disease Management. The study sought to achieve the following objectives: To establish the influence of processing of contracts on completion of AMPATH projects in Uasin Gishu county; to determine the influence of the IRB approval process on completion of AMPATH projects in Uasin Gishu county; to examine the influence of human resource recruitment process on completion of AMPATH projects in Uasin Gishu county; and to explore the influence of procurement process on completion of AMPATH projects in Uasin Gishu county. The study was guided by the project life-cycle model and adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study target 475 AMPATH employees in Uasin Gishu sites and used random sampling technique to select a sample size of 143 respondents which was 30% of the target population. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedule. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques that included mean and standard deviation. Also inferential statistics which included regression model were used to show the relationships between the variables. Data was presented in frequency tables. The study findings showed that there was no significant influence of contracting process on the completion of projects (β1 = -0.360, p >0.05). The IRB approval process has a negative and significant influence on the completion of AMPATH projects (β2 = -1.177, p < 0.05). Human resource recruitment process (β3 = 1.329, p < 0.05) and the procurement process (β4 = 1.132, p < 0.05) had a positive and significant influence on completion of AMPATH projects. The study recommends that there is need to tap into the aspects of contracts processing so as to have a positive influence on project completion and there is need to have an overview evaluation of the IRB review process so that there is no delay in terms of project implementation time for those whose projects have been approved. The study also recommends that the HR recruitment process be done early enough and that new employees be trained on the tasks so that they fit in and effectively work towards accomplishment of project objectives. Furthermore, over-purchasing of supplies results in having a surplus of items as well as over-spending and denying of essential finances to other areas of project implementation thus there is need to have proper planning as well as budgeting to avoid such cases