The Effect of Change Management Practices on the Budget Compliance for Projects: The Case Study of Digital Ambassadors Program

The study examines the effect of change management practices mainly the leadership, communication strategies, stakeholder engagement on the budget compliance for the Digital Ambassadors Program (DAP) under the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA). A descriptive research design was adopted with a sample of 397 respondents drawn from the digital ambassadors, supervisors, officers, and senior management for the program. Using multiple regression analysis, the study found a significant positive relationship between change management practices and budget compliance, with an adjusted R² of 0.432 (F = 86.833, p = 0.000). The results indicate that effective leadership, clear communication, and proactive stakeholder engagement contribute to adherence to project budgets. The study concludes that integrating robust change management practices enhances financial discipline in project execution and recommends strengthening change communication frameworks and leadership alignment for better fiscal outcomes.