Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation and Performance of County Government-Funded Infrastructural Development Projects in Bomet County, Kenya
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Date
2024-06
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Infrastructural projects are fundamental in the development and functioning of communities, economies, and environments. Their significance can be understood through economic growth, social development, environmental impact, connectivity, and mobility. Infrastructure development in Bomet County has encountered numerous challenges, including insufficient funding, suboptimal project designs, resistance from local communities, and delays caused by bureaucratic processes. According to the County Government of Bomet report 2020, above 60% of road construction projects started within the past three years have either been delayed or remain incomplete. These obstacles hinder effective service delivery and highlight the need for better project planning and stakeholder engagement to ensure timely and successful implementation. Most projects have surpassed their expected costs by 20-50%, leading to incomplete work. Furthermore, 30% of roads show deterioration within a year, and only 15% of completed projects receive adequate maintenance. A well-constituted M&E membership is needed to enable extensive evaluation of infrastructural projects. The main goal was to find out participatory M&E and performance influence in infrastructural projects that are paid for by the devolved government in Bomet in Kenya. The distinct goals of the research were to find out the effect of participants’ technical expertise, teamwork, motivation, and managerial skills on the achievement of infrastructural projects paid for by the Bomet County Government. This study utilized Stakeholder, agency, resource mobilization, and Vroom expectancy theories. This research deployed a descriptive and explanatory survey research design. The population targeted was 278 County government-funded infrastructural projects in Bomet County, which include road, water, health, education, and agricultural projects. This research targeted stakeholders in the County Government, County Assembly, Contractors, and the public in Bomet. The study sampled 139 projects using stratified random and simple random sampling. The respondents were 201, comprising 139 community members, 20 technical experts,32 local contractors, and 10 county officials. Information was gathered by using surveys. The questionnaires were designed, and this formed a primary data feed for this research. Data was gathered and scrutinized, descriptive statistics were utilized, and visualization was done by way of tables. Motivated participants are more likely to provide accurate and comprehensive data during monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes. Participants with robust management skills can contribute to more effective project planning and design. Findings revealed that Participants’ technical expertise (Mean = 4.26, SD = 0.86), Participants’ teamwork in M&E (Mean = 4.33, SD = 0.665), Participants’ Motivation in M&E (Mean = 4.26, SD = 0.740), and Participants’ Management Skills in M&E (Mean = 4.44, SD = 0.563) were highly rated as crucial for project success. Statistically significant variables included technical expertise, teamwork, motivation, and management skills, which positively influenced project outcomes, whereas infrastructural project performance was not statistically significant. The study concludes that enhancing technical expertise, teamwork, motivation, and management skills in M&E is important for enhancing the quality and effectiveness of infrastructural projects in Bomet County. The research recommends regular workshops, tailored training, and digital tools to strengthen technical, M&E, and management competencies, ensuring successful project implementation and sustainability.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Business, Economics and Tourism in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Business Administration (Project Management) of Kenyatta University, June 2025.
Supervisor
Gladys Kimutai