INFLUENCE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM ON CREDIT DIGITIZATION IN COMMERCIAL BANKS IN NAIROBI, KENYA

Purpose: Therefore, the study sought to establish the influence of PMIS on credit digitization in commercial banks in Kenya. Methodology: The target population for the study was the 42 commercial banks in Kenya. The study employed a descriptive survey design and was census of the 42 commercial banks head offices in Nairobi, Kenya. Data was collected by use of a structured questionnaire. The data was cleaned, coded and analyzed using a Statistical software (SPSS). The findings were presented in form of tables, charts and graphs. Descriptive statistics were deduced from the data. From this, inferential statistics were presented and associations drawn. Regression analysis was interpreted and appropriate conclusions made. Findings: The findings from regression analysis showed that expertise of the project team, end-user involvement, project risk management and project monitoring and evaluation positively and significantly influence credit digitalization in Kenyan Commercial banks. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study was guided by the lenses of Stakeholder Management theory, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Disruptive Innovation from which the study operationalized the variables of PMIS Implementation and Credit Digitization. Banks should conduct training to all team members before commencement and during project execution. Moreover banks should involve customers in testing of projects before launching and should consider the feedback from customers

INFLUENCE OF BUDGETING AND DEBT MANAGEMENT LITERACY TRAINING ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF EQUITY BANK TRAINED WOMEN SELF HELP GROUPS IN MACHAKOS TOWN, KENYA

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to find out the influence of financial literacy on budgeting and debt management skills on financial performance of Equity bank trained women self-help groups in Machakos Town, Kenya. Methodology: The research methodology employed two theories namely; The Bruce Tuckman’s Theory of group development and Expectancy Theory. Empirical studies were outlined and existing literature critiqued hence the research gap. The target population was 33 women self-help groups that are registered and trained by Equity Bank. Census sampling design was used for accuracy of the subdivisions of the subdivision and purposive sampling technique was used to calculate sample size because it focuses on particular characteristics of a population. The study used structured questionnaire as its data collection instrument. Analyzed data was presented through graphs and charts. Results: Findings on budget training established a significant relationship between budget training and financial performance of women self-help groups in Machakos Town, r=0.255, p=0.035<0.05 indicating that adding a unit on budget training will increase financial performance of women self-help groups in Machakos Town by 0.255 multiple units. Further findings on debt management skills training established a significant relationship between debt management training skills training and financial performance of women self-help groups in Machakos Town, r=0.600, p=0.005<0.05 indicating that adding a unit on debt management training skills will increase financial performance of women self-help groups in Machakos Town by 0.600 multiple units.

EFFECTS OF POST-IMPLEMENTATION COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ON SUSTAINABILITY OF BOREHOLE WATER PROJECTS IN EMBU COUNTY, KENYA

Purpose: The study sought to establish the effect of post-implementation community participation on sustainability of borehole water projects in Mbeere South sub county, Embu County. Methodology: The study employed cross-sectional research design. The target population comprised of 770 executive borehole management committee members, 16,800 household borehole water users in Mbeere South Sub County, five project managers from non-state agencies involved in rural water provision and management and two government water officers. The study used utilized a sample size of 657. Krejcie and Morgan table was used to select 260 executive borehole committee members while Yamane formula was employed to sample 390 household borehole water users who were selected from the five wards in Mbeere south sub county by use of proportionate random sampling method. Census sampling was applied to select two government water officers and five project officers from non-state agencies. The study used questionnaires and interview guides to gather primary data from the respondents. The questionnaires were piloted with 70 randomly picked respondents drawn from the target population to ascertain their reliability in gathering relevant data while content validity was achieved through review by experts and professionals in the field of study. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Findings: Pearson Chi-Square analysis revealed that monitoring cases of vandalism and poor hand pump handling, monitoring hand pump defects and breakdowns, supervision of community-led maintenance and repair were statistically significant at 5% precision level with P- values of 0.000, 0.000, 0.020 respectively. The study also established that community caretakers technical training, availability of hand pump spare parts and technician entrepreneurs in village markets were statistically significant at 5% precision level with P-value of 0.000. In regard to financial transparency and accountability, beneficiaries’ willingness to pay for water, availability of enough funds to cover maintenance and management costs, community demand for water, application of book keeping skills in borehole projects management and keeping of financial records of household payments were statistically significant at 5% precision level with P-value of 0.000, 0.006, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000 respectively. Further, 78.9% of the household water users indicated that there were no mechanisms for auditing the records prepared by the borehole management committees and regarding their involvement in financial decision making only 26.2% affirmed participation in financial decision-making process. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that community beneficiaries should be sufficiently mobilized and prepared to facilitate effective community management of rural borehole water projects during the post-implementation period as postulated by the Community Coalition Action and Citizen Participation theories. Additionally, the borehole management committees should be supported by external stakeholders to enhance their technical and financial management skills in order to ensure technical and financial sustainability of rural community managed borehole projects through facilitative and village-level operation and maintenance and effective accountability and transparency mechanisms.

ROLE OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON PERFORMANCE OF FAIRTRADE PREMIUM PROJECTS IN KENYA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the role of total quality management on the performance of fair trade premium projects with particular reference to Flamingo Horticulture Limited (herein referred to as the company or organization). Methodology: The target population for this research comprised of the employees, the management and the fair trade premium committee of the Flamingo Horticulture Limited. The study employed descriptive research design. A census sampling was carried out and the sample size was 46. Survey method was used to solicit the information. The researcher used a questionnaire to collect primary data which was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques then presented in tables. Data collected will be both quantitative and qualitative. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire was enhanced by carrying out a pilot study prior to data collection. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics by aid of Statistical package for social scientists (SPSS). The results were presented in form of Tables. Results: The studies found that quality management planning, customer focus and application of Quality Management planning approaches such as auditing, continuous improvement, monitoring & evaluation have positive effect on performance of fairtrade premium projects. Correlation analysis showed that there were positive and significant correlations between performance of Fairtrade premium projects in Kenya and all independent variables (quality management planning, r=0.537, p<0.05; customer focus, r=0.542, p<0.05; leadership qualities, r=0.476, p<0.05 and, QMS approaches, r=0.452, p<0.05). Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that Fairtrade organizations should integrate quality management planning in their overall planning process to ensure identification of risks, to ensure that errors are eliminated throughout the operational process and products and services are produced at an optimal quality that can satisfy all stakeholders. Adoption of quality management will enable the leaders to use their personal values, ethics, and commitment to the organization’s vision and mission, passionate to energize and create a synergy in teams; heading towards accomplishment of organizational goals. With high level of quality improvement quality management practices and leadership will be higher since leadership qualities are associated with successful quality improvement.