PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND PERFORMANCE OF YOUTH ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROJECTS IN KAJIADO NORTH SUB-COUNTY, KENYA.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Skills in project management such as leadership and communication have the most substantial influence on achieving project performance. However, youth projects that are meant to enhance young people's wellbeing often fail within the first three years of operation. This study's objective was to determine how project management abilities affected how well youth economic empowerment projects in Kajiado North Sub-County performed. The study's goals were to: investigate the impact of leadership abilities on youth economic empowerment project performance; investigate the impact of financial management abilities on youth economic empowerment project performance; identify the impact of stakeholder management abilities on youth economic empowerment project performance; and evaluate the impact of project risk management abilities on youth economic empowerment project performance. Stakeholder theory and project management competency theory were employed in the study. The positivism paradigm served as the study's foundation since authentic knowledge must be evaluated using a scientific method. The study used descriptive and explanatory research techniques, and its 156 target participants were project officers and young people. To create a sample of 156 respondents, a census was done. For this investigation, both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. Based on the objectives, the researcher used descriptive statistics to examine the quantitative data and content analysis to assess the qualitative data. To evaluate the accuracy and dependability of the research tools, a pilot study was carried out. Data was collected through questionnaires, and then entered into the 25th version of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. Tables, frequencies, percentages, averages, and standard deviation were used to present the investigated quantitative results. The study discovered that the effectiveness of youth empowerment projects in Kajiado North Sub County was positively and significantly influenced by leadership qualities. Similar to this, in Kajiado North Sub County, financial management abilities had a positive and significant impact on how well youth economic empowerment projects performed. Furthermore, the effectiveness of youth empowerment initiatives in Kajiado North Sub County was positively and considerably impacted by risk management abilities. The study did, however, demonstrate that the performance of youth empowerment programs in Kajiado North Sub County is not always influenced by stakeholder management skills. The report suggests that the national government put policy into effect by establishing rules and regulations for how to include young people in mentoring initiatives. Once more, the report advises project managers to plan quarterly meetings with youth group leaders in order to monitor their progress and loan repayment. The report concludes by advising project officers to develop a mitigating strategy in the event of a future loan default so that further poor youngsters may be eligible to receive funding.