Effect of implementation strategies on the performance of projects, a case of garment projects in Eldoret City, Kenya

Abstract

The performance of garment projects is a critical indicator of the economic progress and sustainability of any country. Garment projects are pivotal in Kenya’s economic development, contributing significantly to employment and poverty alleviation. However, these projects often face challenges that impede their performance. Despite various government initiatives and private sector interventions aimed at implementing garment projects, there remains a significant gap in understanding how different implementation strategies influence their overall performance. Existing literature largely focuses on financial constraints, regulatory barriers, and production challenges, but fails to comprehensively analyze the implementation strategies adopted in project execution. This study sought to bridge this gap by examining the effect of implementation strategies on the performance of garment projects in Eldoret city, Uasin Gishu County. The specific objectives of the study were: to establish the effect of mapping risks on the performance of garment projects, to assess the effect of scheduling milestones on the performance of garment projects, to investigate the effect of assigning tasks on the performance of garment projects, and to determine the effect of allocating resources on the performance of garment projects. The study was anchored on the EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment) model supported by the goal-setting theory and the normalization process theory. The study adopted an explanatory research design with a target population of 386 garment projects that registered with the County Government of Uasin Gishu. A sample size of 196 garment projects was selected based on the Yamane formula; stratified sampling technique was used in the sample selection. The stratification was done on the basis of the project cost. After the stratification, simple random sampling was used to obtain the desired sample. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. With respect to the findings, the following were revealed: mapping risks had a significant positive effect on the performance of garment projects (β 0.2332, p-value <0.05); scheduling milestones had a statistically positive effect on the performance of garment projects (β 0.2562, p-value <0.05); Assigning tasks showed a significant positive effect on the performance of garment projects (β 0.0464, p-value <0.05). Allocating resources revealed a substantial positive effect on the performance of garment projects (β 0.4330, p-value <0.05). The findings reveal R² (0.7552), which demonstrates that the predictors are highly effective in explaining the variability in the performance of garment projects. The findings revealed that all the predictor variables are statistically significant and positively affect the performance of garment projects. With respect to descriptive statistics, the findings revealed that mapping risks is the most effectively conducted implementation strategy (Mean=3.99, Std dev=0.899), indicating strong implementation. Allocating resources (Mean=3.91, Std dev=0.871) and scheduling milestones (Mean=3.90, Std dev=0.880) also show consistent application, while assigning tasks (Mean=3.81, Std dev=0.929) has the lowest mean, suggesting variability in execution. The overall performance of garment projects (Mean=3.90, Std dev=0.771) reflects a relatively high level of efficiency. These results suggest that well-structured implementation strategies contribute to project success. The study recommends that garment projects prioritize the efficient use of their resources, comprehensive risk mapping practices, develop detailed production schedules and establish clear procedures for assigning task