PROJECT MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES AND SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER PROJECTS FUNDED BY EMBU COUNTY GOVERNMENT, KENYA

This study investigated the influence of project management capabilities and sustainability of water projects funded by the Embu County Government, Kenya. The study sought to determine the influence of resource allocation, stakeholder participation, management commitment, and digital inclusion on the sustainability of water projects funded by the Embu County Government, Kenya. The resource-based view, stakeholder theory, agency theory, and the technology acceptance model were used to underpin the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted targeting 6 water projects with a target population of 167 project administrators, members of committees from these projects, local leaders, and operating staff from water projects being implemented by Embu County. The sample size of 100 respondents determined scientifically will be selected through stratified random sampling. Primary data was gathered using a structured questionnaire that will have undergone pilot testing. The findings established that that resource allocation, management commitment and digital inclusion have a significant impact on sustainability of water projects. Finally, stakeholder participation does not influence significantly on sustainability of water projects. The study concludes that appropriate resources deployment during project management is critical in ensuring that project is completed with the quality that was intended. Project management team must involve all the stakeholders for successful implementation of the project. Management commitment and sustainability of water projects are intertwined together and hence staff training, competitive reward and career progression is critical in successful project performance. Finally, digital inclusion is important during project management because it enables personnel in information sharing, data analytics as well as communication. Keywords: Digital inclusion, Management commitment , Project management capabilities , Resource allocation, Stakeholder participation , Project Sustainability CITATION : Mbogo, M. G., & Kyalo, J. (2023). Project management capabilities and sustainability of water projects funded by Embu County Government, Kenya. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 10 (4), 778 – 795. http://dx.doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v10i4.2786