Analysis of Project Management Practices on School Feeding Program Performance

The performance and sustainability of school feeding projects are critical to achieving educational and social development objectives. This study aims to assess the effect of project management practices on performance of school feeding projects in Musanze District, Rwanda, specifically, human resource management, financial resource management, stakeholder involvement and material resource management. The study was guided by the Theory of Change. The study was used mixed-methods with a descriptive survey and correlational research design to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The target population was 3383 respondents from six schools. A descriptive survey design and correlational research design was adopted to gather data from a sample of 358 respondents drawn from six schools involved in the Dusangire Lunch Project. Data collection instruments was included questionnaires, interviews, and documentary reviews. To enhance the study's rigor, a pilot test was conducted with 10% of the sample size. The instruments' validity was established through expert reviews, achieving a content validity index (CVI) of 0.79, which was deemed acceptable. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha, yielding a score of 0.76, confirming the consistency of the instruments. The findings for four hypotheses were tested at ?=.05 level of significance and the results were: there is no significant influence between Human Resource Management (p=0.000<0.05), Human Resource Management (p=0.000<0.05), Stakeholder Involvement (p=0.000<0.05), and Material Resource Management (p=0.000<0.05) on Performance of School Feeding Projects were rejected. The studies conclude that the importance of efficient resource management and active stakeholder involvement in the effective implementation and sustainability of school feeding projects. It is recommended that policymakers and practitioners focus on improving resource management practices, fostering stakeholder collaboration, and addressing gaps in communication to sustain and scale the impact of these projects in Rwanda. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to examine the long-term impact of these management practices on student outcomes and project sustainability.