Effects of government policy on the relationship between project management practices and sustainability of agribusiness projects in Kenya

Abstract

Government policy as expressed in laws, rules, regulations and guidelines pervades all spheres of human life. The underlying conviction is that government policy promotes the best interest of society and provides an orderly way for attainment of a predetermined end. In Kenya, many agribusiness projects are designed and implemented within the purview of existing government policies to address the challenges affecting the farming enterprise. The effects of government policies on predetermined project objectives in agribusiness projects including sustainability remains largely unknown. The study sought to establish the effects of government policy on the relationship between known project management practices and sustainability of Kenya Agricultural Productivity and Agribusiness Projects (KAPAP) in selected Counties in Kenya. The project management practices which were considered as independent variables were; capacity building practices, stakeholder’s management practices, project design practices and monitoring and evaluation practices. The population comprised of 6401 KAPAP projects implemented between years 2012 to 2015. A sample of 376 was selected through multistage random sampling methods. Data was collected using a semi structured questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models were applied in data analysis. From the findings, it was established that each of the four project management practices statistically significantly had an influence on the sustainability of KAPAP projects. The proportion of joint explanation of dependent variable (PS) by the independent variables (PMPs) improved on inclusion of government policy as a moderating variable. This confirmed that government policy statistically significantly moderated the relationship between the project management practices and project sustainability. From these findings, the project management practices can be used to reliably predict project sustainability and this prediction is enhanced by implementation of government policies. The study recommends for consideration of government policy for attainment of project objectives including sustainability