An Evaluation of Stakeholder Management Performance in County Government-Funded Construction Projects: A Case of Machakos County

Stakeholder management is a pivotal aspect of construction projects funded by county governments in Kenya. Effective stakeholder management is essential for aligning project objectives with the diverse needs of all the stakeholders involved. In Kenya, public infrastructure projects often face challenges such as delays and budget overruns. Therefore, robust stakeholder management practices are essential for ensuring successful project implementation. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the current state of stakeholder management performance in County government-funded construction projects, to establish the existing stakeholder management practices in County Government-funded construction projects, and to establish the influence of stakeholder management practices on stakeholder management performance in County Government-funded construction projects. The study adopted a survey research design. The data was collected using questionnaires and measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Simple stratified sampling was used to identify the 254 respondents. The respondents included contractors, project consultants, end users, ward development officers, PMC representatives, ward administrators, and village administrators. The collected data was coded and entered into Statistical Packages for Social Scientists (SPSS) and analysed using descriptive statistics. The multiple regression analysis method was used to determine if a relationship existed between the dependent and independent variables. The overall level of stakeholder management performance had a mean of 2.25. This research established that stakeholder management practices are statistically significant in explaining the stakeholder management performance in construction projects funded by the County in Machakos County. Additionally, this study concluded that the level of stakeholder management performance was low in Machakos County. Finally, the study recommended that counties should prioritise stakeholder management training through well-organised awareness campaigns.