Factors influencing the completion time of water projects in jimma town

Abstract

This study intended to investigate the factors that influencing completion time of water projects in Jimma. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the factors influencing completion of water projects in Jimma towns. The study followed mixed research approach incorporating both qualitative and quantitative aspects of project completion time. The sample size of the study were 93 respondents in respective water projects. In order to get professional respondents on specific expertise of project management issues, and due to the limited size of target sample, the sample size was determined by purposive non-probability sampling for professionals (engineers, site managers, and project managers) The quantitative data that collected by structured questionnaire triangulated with qualitative data, which collected through key informant’s interview. The result of the study indicated that there is time delay of projects ranges from zero year to five years (the mean of 803 days) in the study area. The major influencing factors that are identified in this study were financing, contract variations, monitoring, market related factors, and physical and environmental factors in that order. This result also triangulated with the qualitative data and all of the top five factors that were found in qualitative analysis confirmed in interview responses. The study also forwarded important recommendations for financing bodies of the projects, that they should give a great emphasis to finance in project planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation stages. In this regard, concerning bodies should establish a special inter-organizational relationship with government financing bodies to simplify the complex financial system that hinders the smooth flow of financing to address the timely demand of the projects.