ABSTRACT

The problem of delays in project execution is a phenomenon which has far-reaching implications on both the project beneficiaries and thee project affected area .This study had as objectives to analyze the effects of planning on project Execution of Non-governmental organizations in Buea, to determine the effects of delays in financial disbursement on project Execution of Non-governmental organizations in Buea and to examine the effects of stakeholder engagement on project Execution of Non-governmental organizations in Buea. The study made use of  a mixed method approach; the data collected was done with the aid of semi structured 5 point likert scale format questionnaires plus structural questions. The study findings showed that the causes of delays in project execution such as planning, delays in financial disbursement and stakeholder engagement significantly affect project execution by non-governmental organizations and more specifically, with poor planning and stakeholder engagement having positive effects while delay in financial disbursement has a negative effect. It was thus recommended that in order to improve the efficiency of project execution and curb constraints, non-governmental organizations should adopt methods to track their project timelines as well as different aspects limiting the execution of their projects, employees of non-governmental organizations should keep open channels of communication with the various project managers and the government can develop clear policies that support timely project execution.

Key words: project delay, Poor Planning, Financial Disbursement, Stakeholder Engagement.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

This research study tries to analyze the causes of delays in project execution by non-governmental organizations in Buea. A project passes through a cycle involving different stages including implementation. A project is completed within time and within budget by satisfying donor’s requirements and beneficiary’s needs, it is said to be a successful project. Project implementation delay can be defined as the late completion of work compared to the planned schedule. Delayed implementation of projects and cost increase are common phenomena in projects worldwide. The inability to complete projects on time and within budget continues to be a chronic problem worldwide and is worsening (Ahmed et al., 2002). Chapter one is the introductory chapter, it introduces the study stating the background of the study in relation to earlier research, the problem to be addressed, the research question, objectives and hypothesis, the scope of the study, the importance and organization of the study 

1.2 Background of the study

Projects remain the instruments of choice for policymakers in national and international development. In Africa and other third world countries, development projects play a great role in providing basic social services such as infrastructure building, provision of basic education, agricultural extension, raising public awareness on different development issues such as gender equity, environmental protection. In particular, development projects aim at filling development gap where governments fall short. However, the poor performance of projects and the disappointment of project stakeholders and beneficiaries are always apparent and common in numerous projects (Kwak, 2002).

According to the World Bank, the project failure rate in African countries was over 50% by the year 2000 this was according to Meltzer Commission Report, 2000.  (Kwak, 2002) points out that in most cases World Bank projects fail to achieve their goals due to problems that could be termed as managerial and organizational issues. Specifically, managerial and organizational issues can further be broken down into imperfect project design, poor stakeholder management, delayed coordination failure, and so forth (Youker, 1999; Fortune & White, 2006, 2000; Gunawan & Ahsan, 2010).  In addition, the World Bank’s private arm, the International Finance Corporation has discovered that only half of its African projects succeed. In an independent rating, the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) claimed that 39% of World Bank projects were unsuccessful in 2010 (Chauvet et al., 2010). 

Surprisingly, the focus of most international development research to date has been narrow, with emphasis on examination Projects and Project Management in general without looking into Non-governmental projects in particular. Notably, the focus has not taken into consideration the size of this industry sector ($120 billion U.S. a year in 2009), project proliferation, and the questionable outcomes of projects (Crawford & Bryce, 2003; Roodman, 2006; Gunawan & Ahsan, 2010). In most cases, the project outcomes do not meet the felt needs or if they do, such needs are not sustainable. Mainly, this is the case even after the expenditure of billions of FCFA in development projects. Very little has been written about international development project success, success criteria and critical success factors (Diallo, & Thuillier, 2004; Diallo, & Thuillier, 2005; Khang, & Moe, 2008; Ika et al., 2010).

Projects are considered delayed when their stipulated completion durations have not been achieved. The inability to complete projects on time and within budget continues to be a chronic problem worldwide and is worsening (Ahmed et al, 2002). According to Ashley et al (2008) the trend of cost overrun is common worldwide and that it is more severe in developing countries. The subject of completion of project is therefore a universal concern that affects all parties to a development project. It is thus in the interest of the project management as an emerging profession to address all the factors that affect completion of construction project.

Projects have a variety of reasons to experience delay. An investigation to find out the reasons for the delays was conducted in Hong Kong where a questionnaire was developed on factors that were identified in previous findings. The analysis of the findings indicated the difference in perception of the factors that was between the key stakeholders of the project. There was general agreement about the relative importance of delay factors such as unforeseen ground conditions (Kumaraswamy et al, 1998). The delays can be controlled by improving productivity and factors that affect productivity are dealt with the purpose of further increasing productivity and thereby reducing delays.

The conclusion of the investigation is ranking of the factors and factor categories that are considered by various project stakeholders. The areas of disparity between the stakeholders are indicated by their experiences, prejudices and ineffective communication. Thus the project scope factors can be supported by effective communications between all stakeholders. Projects are considered delayed when their stipulated completion durations have not been achieved. The inability to complete projects on time and within budget continues to be a chronic problem.

 The problem of delays in the execution of projects is a global phenomenon. In South Arabia, Assaf & Hejji (2006) found that only 30% of construction projects were completed within the scheduled completion dates and that the average time overrun was between 10% and 30%.

In Nigeria, (Ajanlekoko, 2006) observed that the performance of the construction industry in terms of time was poor. Odeyinka & Aibinu (2006) have shown that seven out of ten projects surveyed in Nigeria suffered delays in the execution of projects. They cited many note worthy causes of delays such as weather conditions, shortage of resources, shortage of materials and equipment, financial difficulties faced by project managers and clients and poor contract management. Al-Momani (1996) carried out quantitative analysis on projects delays in Jordan. The results of this study indicated that the main causes of delay in execution of public projects were related to designers, weather, use changes, site conditions, late deliveries and economic conditions.

In Cameroon, the present state of the projects falls short of meeting domestic and international quality standards and the performance demand expected. Projects have problems with planning techniques and management as well as limitation of funds and time. The critical problems are inability to complete the projects on schedule, low quality work and cost overrun. In general, most (if not all), projects experience time overrun and cost overruns during their execution phase. Several factors contribute to delays on project and analyzing the causes of delays is an essential task for ameliorating potential conflicts or claims. There is strong evidence of inconsistent performance of projects awarded by both the public and private institutions in Cameroon and Fako Division in particular.

Projects are reported failing across all the key performance measures of cost, time and quality. However, despite their noble intentions and dedicated efforts, NGOs frequently encounter challenges that hinder the timely and efficient execution of their projects. One of the most persistent and impactful issues faced by NGOs in Buea is the problem of project execution delays. These delays can have far-reaching consequences, affecting the overall success and impact of the projects, as well as the trust and credibility of the NGOs involved.

Delays in execution of projects are considered to affect many players in the entire nation and the division in particular, especially, on private funded projects.  As such, there is the urgency to find out the causes and effects of these delays and alternative remedies which could effectively put an end to project delay problems. Between 10% and 15% of all aid to developing countries (over $6 billion) is channeled by or through Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) as highlighted in a briefing paper by the Overseas Development Institute (1996).

Further, the emergency assistance accounts for a significant (and in recent years rising) share of total NGO aid flow, the majority of NGO aid is currently provided for development projects and programs. With these large amounts of funding being pumped into development projects, there is a dire need to have systems in place to ensure that projects are successful.

Until recently, there has been little evidence with which to judge the contribution NGOs make to the development in countries and in particular in communities. Very few NGOs, big or small, have a portfolio of representative evaluations of past projects that they place in the public domain. Where assessments have been carried out, especially using external evaluators, assessments have commonly focused on ‘problem’ projects, constituting an unrepresentative sample that understandably NGOs have not wished to distribute widely. Uncertainty about how to evaluate impact, combined with the high cost of undertaking evaluations that sometimes exceeds the cost of the project itself, has constrained NGOs from commissioning more impact assessments. The motivator for this study is largely due to personal observation and low performance of projects in terms of cost and time. These include projects owned by the government and the private sectors.

1.3 Statement of the problem    

In today’s world, project execution plays an important and integral role to enhance the nation’s competitiveness and development. In Cameroon, it is a very rare case that large projects are completed on the time specified or agreed upon, most projects either suffer delay, abandonment or suspension.  This delay in execution of projects has devastating effects on the community benefiting from these projects. A number of factors are likely to explain this situation and may be linked to both the responsible government departments and the contractors. Many questions have been raised about the irregularity and prompt payment of contractors and the inability of the later to do the job (Songer & Molenaar, 1997).

Projects are awarded or allocated to various sectors depending on their needs assessment (Mansfield &Doran, 1994) and consequently if these projects are not delivered on time, it will affect the beneficiaries negatively. Like in the case of the Basic Education sector where contracts are awarded for the construction of classrooms needed by pupils to study, failure of such projects to be executed is likely to affect the teaching and learning process and consequently the output and performance of both pupils and teachers. Voices had been on the abandonment of these projects. The same failure of projects have been registered in the health sector and this has raised lots of eyebrow from the public, Examples include a contract that was awarded for the construction of Buea reference hospital in 2015 has not been completed till date, the Sasse water catchment project as a result of the ongoing crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Region of Cameroon another important sector where delays or abandonment are common is the road construction sector which statistics show a generally low execution rates(Cameroon calling, 2014), a bridge around Moki’s area Soppo.

According to (ODI, 1995), NGOs and Official Donors despite the success stories, we find NGOs still facing numerous problems in making an impact. A large majority of the time the projects introduced is not sustainable, and once the NGO leaves the project area, the situation goes back to previous case. In other cases, the projects do not meet the clients’ felt needs. Usually, NGOs tend to achieve their objectives without looking at the needs of the beneficiaries.

Buea like many other developing towns, heavily relies on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for the implementation of crucial development projects aimed at improving the quality of life for its residents. However, a recurring challenge that hampers the successful completion and impact of these projects is the issue of delays in project execution by these NGOs. Despite the significant resources and efforts invested in these projects, the persistent delays in their execution raise concerns about their overall effectiveness.

The root causes of these delays stem from various factors or challenges such as inadequate planning, bureaucratic hurdles, funding constraints, logistical challenges, community dynamics, and organizational inefficiencies within the NGOs and external environmental factors such as political instability (the crisis in the NW and SW) or funding uncertainties but the major causes of these delays narrow down to the poor planning, delays in financial disbursement and poor stakeholder engagement.

Therefore, the central problem to be addressed in this research dissertation is to comprehensively examine and analyze the causes of delays in project execution by NGO in Buea.

1.4 Research Questions

1.4.1 Main Research Question

What are the causes of delays in project execution of NGOs in Buea?

1.4.2 Specific Research Questions

1. How does poor planning affect project execution of NGOs in Buea?
2. How does delay in financial disbursement affect project execution of NGOs in Buea?
3. Does Stakeholder engagement affect project execution of NGOs in Buea?

1.5 Objectives of the Study

1.5.1 Main Research Objective

To examine the causes of delays in project execution of NGOs in Buea.

1.5.2 Specific Research Objectives

1. To analyze the effect of poor planning on project Execution of NGOs in Buea.
2. To determine the effect of delays in financial disbursement on project Execution of NGOs in Buea.
3. To examine the effect of stakeholder engagement on project Execution of NGOs in Buea.

1.6 Hypotheses of the Study

H0₁: Poor Planning has no significant effect on project execution of NGOs in Buea.

H0₂: Delay in financial disbursement has no significant effect on project execution of NGOs in Buea.

H0₃: Stakeholder engagement has no significant effect on project execution of NGOs in Buea