Stakeholder management and project success; case study: National Water and Sewerage Corporation water supply projects

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to examine the influence of stakeholder management on project success: a case of National Water and Sewerage Corporation projects in Uganda. This theme was considered of absolute importance by the study because it provides an insight on how stakeholder involvement can influence the success of the projects under Environmental Management Board of Ministry of Water and Environment, National Water and Sewerage Corporation to reduce schedule variances, cost overruns and quality challenges in Uganda bearing in mind the large cost implications that come along with such projects. The study was anchored on the Stakeholder Theory which was advanced by Edward Freeman. The study had three specific objectives which it sought to address. The three objectives were; (i) to examine the influence of stakeholder involvement at project identification on success of water construction projects at NWSC (ii) to establish effects of stakeholder involvement in implementation on success of water supply infrastructure projects at NWSC. (iii) to establish the influence of stakeholder involvement in on-going Monitoring and Evaluation on success of water supply infrastructure projects at NWSC. A cross sectional survey design was adopted to during the study, questionnaires and the interview guides were used as methods of data collection. Seventy two (72) questionnaires were administered with a response rate of 89%, and 8 Interview guides were administered to the sampled respondents with a response rate of 100%. The findings of the study revealed that; there is a statistically significant strong positive relationship between Stakeholder Management and Project Success in terms of Cost efficiency, Timeliness Control and Quality of product delivered as indicated by a Regression Coefficient of 0.891 at p=0.01<0.05. This implies that Stakeholder Management would be accompanied by improved Project Success. From the findings, recommendations of the study are; Stakeholder Involvement in Project Monitoring and Feedback provisions should be given highest attention since it significantly contributes on the Project Success at NWSC. Stakeholder Involvement in Project Implementation is second in line to be given high attention because it equally contributes significantly on Project Success at NWSC and last but not least is Stakeholder Involvement in Project Identification.