Author: Dr. Stephen K. A. Hammond, DBA. FPMP
Lecturer, Institute of Project Management Professionals
Email: stepham_k@yahoo.com
Abstract
This quantitative study sought to investigate the relationship between project management practices and project success for Metropolitans, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana. It also explored the causes of delay or failure of projects undertaken by the MMDAs. Finally, the study assessed the differences between the critical success factors for donor funded projects or locally funded projects in the MMDAs. In total, 27 MMDAs took part in this study with a total of 245 respondents across the country. This comprised of 54 from the Metropolitan Assemblies, 126 respondents from the Municipal Assemblies and 65 respondents from the District Assemblies. One of the major findings worth mentioning is the absence of a project management office and designated professional project manager in all the MMDAs who partook in this study. Only two persons out of the 245 participants were certified Project Management Professionals (PMPs) favored in the U.S., or the Projects in Controlled Environments 2 (Prince2). Thus, even though 243 out of 245 participants play major roles in project management across the MMDAs, they do not have basic project management certifications and or credentials. The study revealed that management and administrative practices were the most significant among the factors influencing project delay or failure in the various MMDAs. A significant finding was that the MMDA project managers did not have a minimum level of project management training, hence did not understand project management practices and methodologies. This study is limited by the experience of respondents who rarely engage in projects in the various MMDAs. Their varied backgrounds and portfolios may have affected their responses since it may not be based on the experience of executing projects but rather on observation and indirect involvement as officers in the various MMDAs. This study makes recommendations to the MMDAs in collaborations with the government of Ghana to adopt the project concept and establish a project management office in the various MMDAs. The study recommends that MMDAS train respective officers in project management increase project success. They should establish a project management office to handle the projects at the various MMDAs.
Key words: project management practices, project failure, critical success factors, donor funded projects, locally funded projects
