Abstract:
The study was set to establish whether involving stakeholders in the planning process play a signifi
cant role in managing
water projects. The objective was to find out whether stakeholder involvement in planning is a contr
ibuting factor in
succ
essful project management. A mixed methodology was adopted to collect data from the participants in
the Nyaribari
Chache Sub County, Kenya. The area was purposefully selected because it exhibits common project fail
ures, has a high
population growth and, c
ompounds with diverse developmental ventures. Closed
-
ended questionnaires were used to collect
quantitative data, while interview schedules and observation were used to collect qualitative data r
espectively. A total of
413
questionnaires were distributed
to collect data from respondents aged 18 years and above. Further 10 informants were
selected and interviewed face to face. Quantitative data were analyzed using Pearson moment correlat
ion while qualitative
data was analyzed thematically. The results were
presented in tables and figures. The results revealed a higher number of
respondents were either involved to a low extent or not at all. The findings show more males and e
xperts dominated in the
planning process than females and youths. Further, the find
ings showed a higher number of water projects were performing
below expectations. Involving stakeholders in planning projects is among the key factors for succ
essful project management
.
The research findings will be an addition to existing knowledge and
a reference in effective project’s planning and
management. And, recommends a rethinking of water project policies to incorporate stakeholders i
n the planning process.
