Resource Planning and Performance of Water and Sanitation Projects in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue IV, April 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Resource Planning and Performance of Water and Sanitation Projects in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

Kiruja, Annie Rodah Nyawira¹, Dr. Nyawira Mary Mwenda^2
1MA Project Planning and Management, University of Nairobi, Kenya
²Lecturer, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract: Water is a vital resource and considered as one of the resources that sustains life. There have been numerous challenges associated with water supply and sanitation including waterborne diseases and diarrhea. Most of the poorly designed water and sanitation systems in the underdeveloped countries are one of the major issues that contribute largely to the problem. The research, using its main objective planning for project resources, determined how planning for project resources influences performance of water and sanitation projects in Tharaka Nithi County. The study was hinged on two theories; the Stakeholder Theory and the Theory of Constraints. The study embraced a descriptive survey research design with a target population of 22,401. A sample size of 390 was drawn from the target population of 22401 urban residents using the Krejcie and Morgan formula and further adopting a simple random sampling for the urban residents. The instruments were pilot-tested using 39 questionnaires that were administered to water resource users’ associations and residents in Embu County (neighboring county) who have similar characteristics as the study area. The study interviewed all the key informants within Chuka, Tharaka-Nithi County in search for deeper information regarding the study. The study used semi-structured questionnaires and interview guides, close-ended questions generated quantitative data while open-ended questions and interview guides generated qualitative data. The results were analyzed and presented in terms of mean, percentages, frequencies and standard deviation while inferential statistics employed the use of Pearson Correlation to show the strength and direction of the association amongst the predictor variable and the response variable. Simple linear regression was run on the quantitative data in testing for the strength of the association amongst the independents variables and the dependent variable. It was established that planning for project resources with r=0.808, r2=0.653, β=0.808, t=9.487 and the F (1, 333) = 153.000 at p=0.000<0.05, had a strong positive significant influence on performance of water and sanitation projects. The study recommended that that planning for project resources is an important factor in performance of projects and is crucial that other areas of planning in project management given equal consideration during the implementation and management to ascertain performance of water and sanitation projects. Adequate personnel on project plans, financial and material resources should be factored in undertaking any water and sanitation

Key Words: County funded projects, Performance of water and sanitation projects, Project resource

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