How Does Project Schedule Management Dimension Influence Building Construction Project Performance? Evidence from County Governments in Kenya

Abstract

Purpose: Effective project schedule management is widely recognized as a critical determinant of construction project success. However, the performance of county government building construction projects in Kenya has traditionally been assessed using the "iron triangle" of time, cost, and scope, with limited attention given to post-completion outcomes such as stakeholder satisfaction, benefits realization, and strategic performance. Consequently, many completed public infrastructure projects have failed to deliver their intended socio-economic benefits despite being completed within planned project constraints. This study examined the effect of project schedule management on the performance of county government building construction projects in Kenya, while also assessing the moderating influence of the project regulatory framework.

Materials and Methods: The study was anchored on complexity theory, theory of constraints, and project management competency theory. The study adopted a mixed-methods research design integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. A census of 200 respondents drawn from selected county government building construction projects was conducted, yielding 189 valid responses (94.5% response rate). Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and regression analysis.

Findings: The findings revealed that project schedule management has a positive and statistically significant effect on the performance of county government building construction projects (β = 0.323, p < 0.001), explaining 12.6% of the variation in project performance (R² = 0.126). Effective activity sequencing, duration estimation, schedule development, and schedule monitoring enhanced stakeholder satisfaction, benefits realization, and strategic performance. The estimated regression model was Y = 3.702 + 0.323X₁. The findings provide evidence that improvements in schedule management are associated with improved performance of county government building construction projects. Furthermore, the project regulatory framework significantly moderated the relationship between project schedule management and project performance (β = 0.292, p = 0.044), demonstrating that compliance with regulatory requirements strengthens the effectiveness of schedule management practices.

Implications to Theory, Practice, and Policy: The study extends the Kenyan public-construction literature by examining schedule management against a broader conception of project performance that incorporates stakeholder satisfaction, benefits realization and strategic performance rather than relying exclusively on the traditional time-cost-scope measures. The findings emphasize the importance of treating scheduling as an integrated project-management capability involving realistic activity sequencing, duration estimation, schedule development and continuous monitoring. The implications of the study are threefold: theoretically, it strengthens the application of Systems Theory to project scheduling; practically, it provides project managers with specific scheduling practices for improving implementation; and from a policy perspective, it supports stronger institutionalization of schedule planning, monitoring, coordination and accountability within county-government construction governance