Assessing project management practices and performance of government construction projects in Tanzania

Aisia Zabdiel Lawuo

doi:10.51867/AQSSR.3.1.49

Authors

Aisia Zabdiel Lawuo Tanzania Institute of Accountancy, Tanzania Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4037-0931

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.3.1.49

Keywords:

Communication, Project Management, Project Performance, Resource Scheduling, Tanzania

Abstract

Using the regions of Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Morogooro, and Pwani as a case study, this research investigates how project management techniques affect the execution of public building projects in Tanzania. The study used the theory of construction management, the theory of the built environment, and resource mobilization theory to form its theoretical basis. The performance of construction projects in the aforementioned regions was monitored by the research project using the descriptive research approach. The study included government construction projects initiated between 2016 and 2024. Purposive sampling and simple random sampling were the sampling techniques used in this investigation. IBM's Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program (version 25.0) was used to import the data. Descriptive statistics like frequency and percentage were the main tools used in this study's data analysis. Additionally, multiple regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation were employed. The results of the study showed that project performance in Tanzania's construction industry was positively and significantly impacted by project management, resource scheduling, project communication management, and project monitoring and evaluation. According to the study, companies should have a project management plan that is started by the project managers and used as a project tool or device during the execution and monitoring phases. Additionally, all project managers should ensure that they have an adequate number of project team members and strike a balance between overstaffing and understaffing. The study concludes that when a firm has monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in place, it will increase the chance of rectifying deviations and hence have effective performance.

References

Ahuja, H. N., Dozzi, S. P., & Abourizk, S. M. (1994). Project management: Techniques in planning and controlling construction projects. John Wiley & Sons.

Akewushola, R. O., Olateju, O. I., & Hammed, O. G. (2012). Effect of project management on project success. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, 2(3), 1-11.

Akintelu, S. O., Oyebola, A. I., Tiamiyu, S., & Olateju, O. (2023). The impact of project communication management on successful project delivery in the construction industry: A case study. International Journal of Development and Sustainability, 12(8), 376-386.

Bates, L. K., Siemiatycki, M., Ward, K., Das, P., Bunnell, T., Sidaway, J. D., … Oke, C. (2023). Infrastructure that connects/infrastructure that divides. Planning Theory & Practice, 24(1), 99-130. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2023.2166287 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2023.2166287

Dahie, A. M., Osman, A. A., & Omar, A. A. (2017). The role of project management in achieving project success: Empirical study from local NGOs in Mogadishu, Somalia. Australian Journal of Science and Technology, 1(2), 39-45.

Del Pico, W. J. (2023). Project control: Integrating cost and schedule in construction. John Wiley & Sons.

Doloi, H. (2013). Cost overruns and failure in project management: Understanding the roles of key stakeholders in construction projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 139(3), 267-279. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000621 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000621

Elmezain, M., Baduruzzaman, W. H., & Khoiry, M. A. (2021). The impact of project manager's skills and age on project success. Brazilian Journal of Operations & Production Management, 18(4), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.14488/BJOPM.2021.017 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14488/BJOPM.2021.017

Evas, A. (2023). Effect of resource planning practices on project performance: Case of Kigali International Airport upgrade, Rwanda. Global Scientific Journals, 11(1), 817-833.

Irefin, I. A. (2013). Effects of project management on the performance of a construction firm in Nigeria. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 3(6), 54-58.

Jahaf, L. H. (2018). The effect of monitoring and evaluation practices on development projects' performance in Yemen and its relation to gender. Arab Journal for Scientific Publishing, 2663-5798.

Kajumulo, K. J. (2023). Identification and analysis of key elements for improving construction management performance in Tanzania. International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 12(2), 43-53.

Kavishe, N., & Chileshe, N. (2018). Identifying project management practices and principles for public-private partnerships in housing projects: The case of Tanzania. Sustainability, 10(12), 4609. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124609 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124609

Kimberlin, C. L., & Winterstein, A. G. (2008). Validity and reliability of measurement instruments used in research. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 65(23), 2276-2284. https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp070364 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp070364

Kisamo, L., & Mokaya, S. O. (2019). Project management skills and performance of construction projects in Tanzania: A case of selected construction firms in Mwanza. International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 7(2), 363-370.

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International.

McCarthy, J. D., & Zald, M. N. (1977). Resource mobilization and social movements: A partial theory. American Journal of Sociology, 82(6), 1212-1241. https://doi.org/10.1086/226464 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/226464

Mgawe, N. W., & Masanja, N. (2018). Influence of procurement practices on performance of construction projects in Tanzania: A case study of National Housing Corporation. Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(9), 1121-1127.

Mohamad, M. M., Sulaiman, N. L., Sern, L. C., & Salleh, K. M. (2015). Measuring the validity and reliability of research instruments. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 204, 164-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.129 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.129

Mpanju, A. K. (2024). Project management practices and performance of government construction projects in Tanzania: A case study of five regions. International Research Journal of Economics and Management Studies, 3(10), 113-123. https://doi.org/10.56472/25835238/IRJEMS-V3I10P113 DOI: https://doi.org/10.56472/25835238/IRJEMS-V3I10P113

Msenga, E. E. (2021). Factors affecting implementation of controller and auditor general's recommendations in selected local government authorities in Tanzania (Master's thesis, University of Dodoma).

Mwakio, S., Oyoo, J. J., & Onyiego, G. (2020). Effect of project management practices on performance of public housing construction projects in Kenya: A case study of Mombasa County. The Strategic Journal of Business and Change Management, 7(4), 1547-1566.

https://doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v7i4.1882 DOI: https://doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v7i4.1882

Ndunguru, D., Niyonyungu, F., & Yang, X. (2020). Quantification of the influence of factors causing time and cost overruns in Tanzanian construction projects. Open Journal of Business and Management, 8, 2133-2147. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2020.85130 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2020.85130

Ngundo, P. N., & James, R. (2018). Project management practices and implementation of government projects in Machakos County, Kenya. International Journal of Economics, Business and Management Research, 2(6), 236-253.

Niederman, F. (2021). Project management: Openings for disruption from AI and advanced analytics. Information Technology & People, 34(6), 1570-1599. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-09-2020-0639 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-09-2020-0639

Njau, D. N., & Omwenga, J. (2019). Effect of project management practices on effective implementation of building construction projects in Kenya. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Project Management, 4(3), 1-16.

Radosavljevic, M., & Bennett, J. (2012). Construction management strategies: A theory of construction management. John Wiley & Sons.

Sambasivan, M., & Soon, Y. W. (2007). Causes and effects of delays in Malaysian construction industry. International Journal of Project Management, 25(5), 517-526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.11.007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.11.007

Satoinong, L., Desnalia, D., Mintura, S., Paroipo, W. T., Gulthom, A., Simamora, J., & Zebua, D. (2024). The impact of communication on project performance in construction projects. Innovative Research in Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1(1), 30-36.

https://doi.org/10.70134/ircee.v1i1.45 DOI: https://doi.org/10.70134/ircee.v1i1.45

Xie, W., Deng, B., Yin, Y., Lv, X., & Deng, Z. (2022). Critical factors influencing cost overrun in construction projects: A fuzzy synthetic evaluation. Buildings, 12(11), 2028. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12112028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12112028