LEAN PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

Chris Nyamu Githae, Dr. Anne Marie Wairimu Mungai

Abstract


Lean project management is a strategy applied to improve project performance. The Lean approach in project management focuses on the removal of all forms of waste from projects to allow more efficiency. Despite the significance of the sector to economic development, road projects in Nairobi County have been facing performance challenges. The extent of cost and time overruns in road projects in the Nairobi City County is high. The general objective was to examine effect of lean project management on performance of road construction projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of; value stream mapping, and waste identification on performance of road construction projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive research design.  The unit of analysis was 29 road projects completed in the FY’2022/2023. The unit of observation was 332 project managers, project team members (contractors, quantity surveyors, mechanical engineers, civil engineers, structural engineers, architects and designers, and quality engineers), Lean Project Management experts, quality engineers, contractors/subcontractors, maintenance teams, and government officials from KURA. Yamane 1967 sampling formula was used to sample 181 respondents. The study carried out a pilot test with 18 senior staff involved in management of road construction projects. The study used content and construct validity. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 28. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The descriptive statistics include frequency, percentage, and meanwhile inferential statistics include correlation and regression. Findings were tabulated. The pilot study confirmed the validity and reliability of research instruments for examining the effect of Lean Project Management on road construction projects in Nairobi City County. Findings show that; there is a strong significant relationship between value stream mapping and project performance (r=0.546, p=0.000), a strong significant relationship between waste identification and project performance (r=0.814, p=0.000). The study recommends that; the  project managers should;  consider the flow streams of the construction process hire experts who are knowledgeable on value streams to ensure that projects have suitable value streams, make extra efforts to ensure that material delivery is adequately supervised, and allocate adequate funds for team training.

Key Words: Lean Project Management, Performance, Road Construction Projects, Value Stream Mapping, Waste Identification


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References


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