Project Planning and Implementation of Projects at Safaricom Limited in Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

Project implementation has been a major concern to project teams, financiers and beneficiaries. This may be attributed to the fact that a number or projects that have been rolled out have failed to achieve the desired goals. Some have stalled at different stages of their development while others are completed but do not bring the anticipated impact whether financial, social, economic, physical or even institutional. Therefore, this study aimed to establish the effect of project planning on implementation of project in safaricom limited in Mombasa County, Kenya. The study specific objectives were to establish the effect of communication management, personnel management, stakeholder’s involvement and resource planning on the implementation by safaricom projects in Mombasa County. The theories guiding the study were cybernetics Theory, Resource-Based Theory and Stakeholders Theory. The study targeted 99 Safaricom projects in Mombasa County and data was collected from 99 project managers. Questionnaires were used to collect the primary data. Majority of the project managers to a very great extent indicated that communication is an integral part in projects in their organization. It was illustrated that to a very great extent the project managers ensured effective communication in all partners and respondent further presented that to a high extent Safaricom Plc adopted both external as well as internal communication. The findings indicated that majority of the project managers to a very great extent indicated that there was competent project team, to a high extent adequate staffing was availed, to a very high extent training and development was done and adequate remuneration was done. The study findings indicated majority of the respondents indicated to a very great extent that resource identification, sharing of resources, resource budgeting and resource control was effectively done. The results indicated that to a very great extent there exist high participations of stakeholder in project delivery, to a very great extent they allocated enough funds and skills to projects, to a very great extent project managers ensured stakeholder engagement in projects to enhance project performance and that to a very great extent involvement of majority of stakeholders helps to efficiency of a project. The study concluded that most of the project managers accord communication management as an important role that aims to improve project implementation. The study concluded that competent project team, adequate staffing, training and development and adequate remuneration are significant in explaining changes in project implementation. The study concluded that resource identification, sharing of resources, resource budgeting and resource control contributes enormously to the success of the projects. The study concluded that high participations of stakeholder in project delivery, allocation of enough funds and skills to projects, ensuring stakeholder engagement in projects enhances project performance. The study recommended that Safaricom Plc should equip the project managers through appropriate and constant training programs addressing the importance and modes of communication. Estimating the costs of individual activities based on execution conditions will assist to generate correct overall cost estimation. Project personnel planning, personnel management should focus on ensuring that projects are within time and budget. Early detection of deviations on resource utilization especially materials will enable necessary actions by the project team. The study recommended that project managers should encourage high participations of stakeholder in project delivery, allocation of enough funds and training.