Project Planning Practices and Performance in Rwanda: A Case of Umurimo Kuri Bose Project in Rwamagana District

Abstract

Nobody sets out to fail, yet projects are still failing to reach to their intended objectives. This cross-sectional research design investigated effect of project planning practices and project performance, evidence from Umurimo Kuri Bose in Rwamagana District, Rwanda. Specifically, this study sought to analyse the effect of project scope planning, and project risk planning on project performance, a case of Umurimo Kuri Bose Project. The population of this research was beneficiaries of Umurimo Kuri Bose, a project implemented by education development center in Rwamagana district and local leaders in Rwamagana district. Total population were 906 and sample size was 279 calculated using Yamane formula. Both simple random and purposive sampling techniques were employed. Regarding to first objective of this study, the findings showed that 50.5% concurred that, identifying project activities significantly contribute to the performance of Umurimo Kuri Bose Project, and about 46.5% strongly agreed that estimation significantly contributes to the performance of the project while 37.7% asserted that identifying risk and their risk response is the main contributor of project performance. During the interview, staff members of EDC emphasised that identifying overall project activities and align them with time and budget should be the root foundation of ensuring better project performance. Moreover, the findings showed that most of the respondents agreed that cost efficiency, quality of a completed project and completing a project on time are the main indicators of a project performance indicated by 78.8%, 68.4% and 65.2% respectively. Based on the interpretation of collected and analyzed data during this study which aimed to assess the contribution of project planning practices and project performance. The study concluded effective scope planning, cost planning and risk significantly contribute to the performance of project in Rwanda whereby scope planning has 0.696, cost planning has 0.749 and risk planning has 0.845 with project performance. The study recommended similar organizations to EDC to adopt the habit of cost, scope and risk planning in their planning practices as a way of securing project performance; for effective and efficiency use of resources, during cost planning, organizations are advised to outsource experienced personnel in budgeting and finance; lastly there is always a need to set a clear and realistic project scope during project planning which is the basis for setting clear project indicators, outputs and outcomes. Keywords: Project Planning, Project scope planning, Project risk planning, Performance