ASSESSMENT ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ITS CHALLENGES:

A STUDY ON HAWASSA CITY WATER AND SEWEARAGE SERVIVES

ENTERPRISE.

MSC THESIS

BY: BIRUK ESHETU TONE

OCTOBER, 2024

HAWASSA, ETHIOPIA
ASSESSMENT ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ITS CHALLENGES:
A STUDY ON HAWASSA CITY WATER AND SEWEARAGE SERVIVES
ENTERPRISE.

BY:

BIRUK ESHETU TONE

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PROJECT PLANNING AND

MANAGEMENT, SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES OF NEW GLOBAL VISION
COLLEGE, HAWASSA CAMPUS, ETHIOPIA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT TO THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTERS OF PROJECT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

PRINCIPAL ADVISOR: ESAY S. (PhD)

AUGUST, 2024

HAWASSA, ETHIOPIA

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 DECLARATION

I, Biruk Eshetu; hereby declare that this research paper entitled “Assessment on Project
Management Practices and its challenges: A Study on Hawassa city Water and Sewerage
Services Enterprise.” is my original work and has not been submitted for award of any degree or
diploma program in this or in any other institution to the best of my knowledge and belief. I also
declare that I have fully acknowledged all the sources used.

Declared by

Biruk Eshetu ______________________ ___________

Signature Date

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 School of postgraduate studies

New Global Vision College

Advisors’ research submission Approval sheet

As thesis advisory hereby certify that we have read and evaluated the thesis prepared, under our
direction, by Biruk Eshetu entitled “Assessment on Project Management Practices and its
challenges: A Study on Hawassa city Water and Sewerage Services Enterprise.” Therefore, I
recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the thesis proposal requirement and hence hereby can
submit the thesis paper to the department for Defense.

Esay S. (PhD) ______________________ ___________

Name of Advisor Signature Date

iv
 School of postgraduate studies

New Global Vision College

Examiners’ thesis submission Approval sheet

I, the undersigned, member of the Board of Examiner of the final open thesis proposal defense
by Biruk Eshetu have read and evaluated his thesis entitled “Assessment on Project
Management Practices and its challenges: A Study on Hawassa city Water and Sewerage
Services Enterprise.” and examined the candidate’s oral presentation. This is, therefore, to
certify that the thesis has been accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of
masters of Project Planning management.

_____________________ _________________________ ______________

Major Advisor Signature Date

_____________________ _________________________ ______________

Internal Examiner Signature Date

_____________________ _________________________ ______________

External examiner Signature Date

_____________________ _________________________ ______________

Chair person Signature Date

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First I want to thank God Almighty for the gift of life and provision to the achievement of this
worthy goal. I sincerely express my profound gratitude to my major advisor, ESAY S. (PhD) for
his academic insight and intelligent guidance throughout this research.

My appreciation also goes to my loving families and my amazing Wife Lamrot Girma, for their
patience, support and understanding during the course and always. I would like to appreciate all
those who helped me in completion of this research especially my mother Bizunesh Abebe. It
would have been impossible without the effort of many individuals who assisted me directly or
indirectly.

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 Table of Contents
Contents Pages
DECLARATION .............................................................................................................................................. iii
Advisors’ research submission Approval sheet ........................................................................................... iv
Examiners’ thesis submission Approval sheet .............................................................................................. v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................................................................. vi
Lists of Abbreviations and Acronyms ..........................................................................................................xiii
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................................xiv
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background of the Study ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Statement of the problem .................................................................................................................. 3
1.3 Basic Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Objectives............................................................................................................................................ 5
1.4.1 General Object ............................................................................................................................. 5
1.4.2 The specific objectives ................................................................................................................. 5
1.5 Significance of the Study ..................................................................................................................... 5
1.6 Scope of the study .............................................................................................................................. 6
1.6.1 Subject Scope ................................................................................................................................... 6
1.6.2 Methodology Scope ......................................................................................................................... 6
1.6.3 Geography Scope ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.8 Organization of the Study ................................................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................................................. 8
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES .............................................................................................................. 8
2.1. Theoretical literature ......................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.1 Project Concept ............................................................................................................................ 8
2.1.2 Management Definition ............................................................................................................. 10
2.1.3 Project management definition ................................................................................................. 10
2.1.4 Evolution of project management ............................................................................................. 11
2.1.5 Project Management Process Groups ....................................................................................... 12
Figure 2.1 Project initiation phases ............................................................................................................. 13

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 2.2 Project Management Body of Knowledge Areas .............................................................................. 15
2.2.1. Project Integration Management ............................................................................................. 16
2.2.2. Project Scope management ...................................................................................................... 16
2.2.3. Project Time Management ....................................................................................................... 17
2.2.4 Project Cost Management ......................................................................................................... 18
2.2.5. Project Quality Management .................................................................................................... 19
2.2.6. Project Human Resources Management .................................................................................. 19
2.2.7. Project Communications Management .................................................................................... 20
2.2.8 Project Risk Management .......................................................................................................... 21
2.2.9 Project Procurement Management ........................................................................................... 23
2.2.10. Project Stake Holder Management......................................................................................... 24
2.3 Project Management Practices ......................................................................................................... 25
2.4. Challenges of Project Management Practices ................................................................................. 28
2.4.1. Challenges with Human resources ............................................................................................ 29
2.4.2 Costing and estimating the resources........................................................................................ 29
2.5. Benefits of Project Management Practices...................................................................................... 29
2.6 Empirical Literature Review .............................................................................................................. 32
2.7 Summary of Literature Gap............................................................................................................... 34
CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................................................... 36
RESEARCH METHODS AND METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 36
3.1 Description of the Study Area ........................................................................................................... 36
3.2 Research Design ................................................................................................................................ 36
3.3 Research Approach of the Study....................................................................................................... 37
3.4 Sources and Types of Data ................................................................................................................ 37
3.4.1 Source of Data................................................................................................................................ 37
3.4.2 Type of Data ................................................................................................................................... 37
3.5 Target Population, Sampling Techniques and sample size ............................................................... 38
3.5.1 Target Population....................................................................................................................... 38
3.5.2 Sampling Techniques and sample size ....................................................................................... 39
3.6 Methods of Data collection............................................................................................................... 39
3.6.1 Questionnaire ............................................................................................................................ 39
3.6.2. Interview ................................................................................................................................... 40

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 3.7 Methods of Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 40
Table 3.1 Interpretation of Mean range on the Likert Scale ....................................................................... 41
3.8 Reliability and Validity Test ............................................................................................................... 41
3.8.1 Reliability Test ............................................................................................................................ 41
3.8.2 Validity ....................................................................................................................................... 43
3.9 Ethical Consideration ........................................................................................................................ 44
CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................................... 45
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.......................................................................................................................... 45
4.1 Demographic Information................................................................................................................. 45
4.1.1 Respondents Gender and Age ................................................................................................... 45
Table 4.1.1 Respondents Gender and Age.................................................................................................. 45
4.1.2 Respondent’s level of education, year of experience and occupational status ........................ 46
Table 4.1.2 level of education, year of experience and occupational status of respondents .................... 46
4.2 Training Access.................................................................................................................................. 48
Table 4.2 Training accesses ......................................................................................................................... 49
4.3 Analysis on Project Management Knowledge Areas ........................................................................ 49
4.3.1 Project Scope Management ....................................................................................................... 49
Table 4.3.1 Project Scope Management ..................................................................................................... 51
4.3.2 Project Integration Management .............................................................................................. 52
Table 4.3.2 Project Integration Management............................................................................................. 54
4.3.3 Project Time Management ........................................................................................................ 55
Table 4.3.3 Project Time Management....................................................................................................... 57
4.3.4 Project cost Management .......................................................................................................... 58
Table 4.3.4 project cost Management ........................................................................................................ 60
4.3.5 Project Quality Management ..................................................................................................... 61
Table 4.3.5 project Quality Management ................................................................................................... 62
4.3.6 Project Risk Management .......................................................................................................... 63
Table 4.3.6 Project Risk Management ........................................................................................................ 65
4.4 Project Management Challenges ...................................................................................................... 66
Table 4.4 Project Management Challenges ................................................................................................ 67
CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................................................................. 69
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................. 69

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 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 69
5.2 Summary of the finding .................................................................................................................... 69
5.2 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 70
5.3 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 71
5.3.1 Scope for further Research ........................................................................................................ 72
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 73
APPENDIX .................................................................................................................................................... 77

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 List of Table
Table 3.1 Interpretation of Mean range on the Likert Scale ......................................................... 41

Table 4.1.1 Respondents Gender and Age .................................................................................... 45

Table 4.1.2 level of education, year of experience and occupational status of respondents ........ 46

Table 4.2 Training accesses .......................................................................................................... 49

Table 4.3.1 Project Scope Management ....................................................................................... 51

Table 4.3.2 Project Integration Management ................................................................................ 54

Table 4.3.3 Project Time Management ......................................................................................... 57

Table 4.3.4 project cost Management ........................................................................................... 60

Table 4.3.5 project Quality Management ..................................................................................... 62

Table 4.3.6 Project Risk Management .......................................................................................... 65

Table 4.4 Project Management Challenges .................................................................................. 67

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 List of Figure
Figure 2.1 Project initiation phases ............................................................................................... 13
Figure 2.2 Conceptual framework for accessing project management practices .......................... 36

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 Lists of Abbreviations and Acronyms

HCWSSE Hawassa City Water and Sewerage Service Enterprise

KA Knowledge Areas

PMBOK Project Management Body of Knowledge

PMI Project Management Institution

PM Project Management

PSM Project Scope Management

WB World Bank

WBS Work Breakdown Structure

SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences

xiii
 ABSTRACT
The main objective of the study is to assess the project management practices and its challenges
in case of Hawassa city Water and Sewerage service enterprise. The analysis was anchored to
the statement of the problem, research objective and research questions. Thus, the quantitative
and qualitative data was collected, coded, analyzed, interpreted and presented. The overall
scope management practice mean is found to be 2.61 the assessment indicates that the scope
management practice is found to be at low level. The results also indicate that there is a poor
practice of this specific knowledge area. A project charter should be used as main practice as it
clarifies the scope, objective, time, budget, and output of the project. It should be adopted and
followed by the appointed project team. Change can occur to project scope, deliverables,
timescales or resource. The visible need of project management training that exists in the project
offices need to be addressed to improve their project management knowledge & practice
capacity. The application of Project Management knowledge areas is gradually becoming an
important issue in developing economies, especially in a country like Ethiopia where projects of
different size and structures are undertaken. The purpose of this study is to assess the project
management practices and its challenges on Hawassa City Water and Sewerage Services
Enterprise. A descriptive study design was adopted. While the sampling technique is purposive,
Participants of the study are all project management team members of the organization and data
is collected through in-depth interview, close and open-ended questionnaires and document
analysis. The analysis is done qualitatively by relating the results with literatures and
quantitatively using percentage, frequency and mean and for the mean value the researcher
adopted previous literature style in order to categorize the mean value. The findings of the study
revealed that among knowledge area assessment almost all of them are at low level of mean
value except project quality management. In light of other knowledge areas the organization
performs project quality management in a better way. The other objective was assessment of
project management challenges. Lack of suitable project management methodology and lack of
project management practices are the major challenges that the organization faced off during
the assessment. Therefore, to alleviate these prevailing implementation challenges the
organization should adopt a standard Project Management (PM) methodology for its projects,
diversify funding partners, and conduct need assessment of beneficiaries. Change can occur to
project scope, deliverables, timescales or resource. These changes must be formally requested
furthermore, it needs to adopt well-structured communication strategy and invest more on the
capacity building of its staff.

Key words: Project, management, knowledge, enterprise, practices

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter is introductory part of the entire study. It provides some insights about the ground
and assumptions where the study is conducted. It states background, statement of the problem,
objectives, significance, scope, limitation, definition of key terms, and organization of the study.
Accordingly, it begins with background of the study.

1.1 Background of the Study

Project management practice can be applied in project based organizations as well as in business
organizations. According to Kerzner (2009) Effective project management practices ensure that
the project would meet not only key technical objectives (budget, time and quality) but also the
needs of stakeholders. It also ensures that the project fulfills the requirements for which it was
initiated. On the other hand, ineffective project management practice would lead to project
failure.

The 21st century project environment is characterized and driven by increase complexity,
uncertainty, and multiple stakeholders competing for the project goals and objectives. The
project management practices which are ostensibly influence by the theoretical approaches and
models developed by different academics, practitioners and professional institutions are
challenged (Abdulrahman. & Oluwasoye 2016). significant issue observed from project
management in the 21st century is that the nature of project has transform because of the large
scale, uncertainty, and huge cost, several stakeholders’ involvement in project and increase
interests in project benefits (Fortune et al., 2011; Cicmil & Hodgson, 2006). This raises the
question does project management practice really enhance tangible benefits to organization.
Specifically, if there is a need to ask the crucial question regarding salient issue in project
management – why should projects fail without achieving the project objectives if project
management standards, models or strategies are actually apply in managing such projects? In
this work, project management practice is conceptualized as the practical application of project
management knowledge areas.

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Project management is no longer about managing the sequence of steps required to complete the
project on time (Besner & Hobbs, 2006; Maylor, 1999). It is about systematically incorporating
the voice of the stakeholders, creating a disciplined way of prioritizing effort and resolving trade-
offs, working concurrently on all aspects of the project in multi-functional teams. Project
management has evolved to plan, coordinate and control the complex and diverse activities of
modern industrial, commercial and management change and IT projects (Lock, 2007). More
recently Mir & Pinnington (2014) revealed that organizations are increasingly using project
management as a tool to increase productivity. In a similar context, Fortune et al. (2021) reported
that the use of project management knowledge areas and tools by project management
professionals witnessed a significant increase in 2011 from 2012. For Thomas & Mullaly (2009)
based on the extensive research spanning over four years conducted by the Project Management
Institute (PMI) using 65 case study organizations from 14 different countries to find out what
value project management deliver to organizations, the value deliver by project management is
dependent on culture and implementation ‘fit’ with organization needs.

In less developed countries the implementation of project management body of knowledge areas
is still in its early phases of development. It is a relatively modern practice that attempts to
achieve planned objectives within specific time and cost limits, through optimum use of
resources and using an integrated planning and control system (Abbasiand Al-Mharmah, 2020).

However, during the implementation process there are hurdles that organizations might face.
These impediments are the reasons why most project management practices fail. Understanding
the common challenges of implementing project management and ensuring that you have
solutions to them or ways around them will help increase the success factor of your project
management practices (Choudhuri, 2022).

Hawassa city Water and Sewerage Services Enterprise undertake projects related to construction
of water supply and sewerage disposal system projects. The main donor of the project is World
Bank. WB provides supervision support to the project, advising on financial management,
procurement as well as on project design and implementation, making use of its sectorial
experience elsewhere (World Bank 2017).

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Hence, the purpose of this study is to add some extra input for the previous studies that are
mentioned above by assessing the practices, challenges and benefits of project management
practices of Hawassa city Water and Sewerage Services Enterprise.

1.2 Statement of the problem

Since projects are mostly initiated to increase organizational capabilities, meeting new demands,
realizing new opportunities or to overcome the challenges faced due to very frequent change of
organization’s environment then it is more likely that problems could occur during execution of
the projects without the nature or type of the project (Befekadu, 2017). Most of the time project
managers may choose to perform only those processes that they are most familiar with or that are
easier to perform. In doing so, they may give lower priority to KAs that have higher impact on
project success. As the PMBOK Guide it does not identify the relative importance of each KA.

Different studies are conducted by different scholars regarding project management practices.
The studies by Wang and Gibson (2008), shows that Time spent on project management
activities will reduce risk and increase project success. Other researchers on the project activity
such as Morris (1998) and Thomas (2008) showed poor project management practices will lead
to a failed project. But the more practices there is in a project, the more successful the project
will be. One of the main reasons of project failure in developing countries is lack of effective or
poor project management process Richard (2012).

In Ethiopian case, some known projects have been either delayed, have had cost overruns, poor
in quality, poor user satisfaction or did not meet the initial objectives (Fetene, 2008;Tekalign,
2014).

According to Tekalign (2014), 79.1 % of the construction project fails to meet its objectives in
Ethiopia and if completed it is with an average cost overrun of more than 26.2%. We must know
that, Project failures have significant effect from economic as well as political points of view. If
the project takes longer time, it requires additional resources, and budgets and this increases
labor, material, machinery and equipment cost. This affects the budget of other projects and in
general, it affects the economy of the country and results in dissatisfaction of the society at large.
This means, Projects are required to be completed within the time frame, budgeted cost and
required quality so that to achieve its objective and satisfy stakeholders and users as well.

3
Although, many researchers have been conducted on projects related to water and sewerage.
Their findings are related to problems that result in delay, poor quality and cost overrun of
projects. Some of these are absence of well trained and professionally qualified staff, offensive
and poor attitude and behavior on project management works, inadequate facilities and
equipment required, and others have been considered as constraints which make our situation is
different from other developed countries in completing the project successfully. Most of the
researches that are conducted previously focus on one element of project process or one piece of
knowledge areas. It is also unclear from previous studies whether it is the use of project
management knowledge areas actually benefits to organizational success in managing projects.
Notably, there is insufficient appreciation of the challenges confronting project management
practice.

The lack of applying project management practices while implementing government projects is a
major challenge in the country and no studies have concentrated on this area to give
recommendations on how such practices could be introduced to aid the situation. This study will
look to address practices that can help in the improved implementation of projects by looking at
project management practices of Hawassa city Water and Sewerage Services Enterprise as a case
study, and present recommendations on what could be improved.

This study is different from those researchers discussed above in that mainly their focus areas are
investigating of PM practices by using only one up to three knowledge areas which will not
sufficient to give a better solution for the organization since project management by itself needs
an integrated use of knowledge areas.

So this study deemed to fill the gap by assessing the project management practice of Hawassa
city Water and Sewerage Services Enterprise using the six project management knowledge areas
defined by PMBOK. Project scope management, project time management, project cost
management, project quality management, project risk management and project integration
management; which are discussed later in this work. The importance of assessing the
organization by using the above mentioned knowledge areas would give a better and clear image
about how organizations utilized project management methodologies and the challenges the
organization faced when exercising it and the benefit that is gained by using knowledge areas.

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1.3 Basic Research Questions
Based on the above statement of the problem, the study attempts to address the following
questions:

 What are the current project management practice and its challenges in HCWSSE Project
office?
 What are the major challenges of project management practices in the organization?
 What are the benefits of applying project management practice?

1.4 Objectives

1.4.1 General Object

The main objective of the study is to assess the project management practices and its challenges
in case of Hawassa city administration Water and Sewerage Authority project office.

1.4.2 The specific objectives

 To assess the current project management practice in HCWSSE project office.
 To assess the major challenges of project management practices in the organization.
 To examine the benefits that is gained by applying project management practices.

1.5 Significance of the Study

According to Marczyk et al., (2005) engaging in research can be exciting and rewarding
endeavor. Through research scientists attempt to answer age old questions, acquire new
knowledge, describe how things work, and ultimately improve the way we all live. Therefore,
any kind of research has something to add to the accumulated body of knowledge, also uses to
solve particular problem. This research is significant in the way that the assessment of the project
management practices, will show the position of the project offices in using effective project
management and help decision makers to improve their project management practices, in order
to increase the probability of success of their project within time, within budget and according to
the specification and to ensure the project will serve the purpose for which they are implemented
as well.

The researcher believes that the research findings will contribute, to other organizations to know
the importance project management knowledge areas. On the other hand, the study can also be

5
used as a reference for researches in the area and project managers and practitioners used as an
input to the importance of effective project management practice.

1.6 Scope of the study

1.6.1 Subject Scope

The extent of my research with the title of Assessment on Project Management Practices and its
challenges: A Study on Hawassa city Water and Sewerage Service Enterprise is basically to
focus on Hawassa city Water and Sewerage Service Enterprise and it explored the weakness and
strengthens of the enterprise on how they are managing their projects.

1.6.2 Methodology Scope

To conduct my research I am going to use all the resources that I get from Hawassa City Water
and Sewerage Services Enterprises. These resources are primary and secondary data my research
Assessment on Project Management Practices: A Study on Hawassa city Water and Sewerage
Service Enterprise, the researcher was tried to finish the paper within one year by working hard.

1.6.3 Geography Scope

This study is only concentrated on assessing project management practices, through the generally
accepted project management knowledge in Hawassa city areas defined by PMBOK, which will
enhance the management of projects.

1.7 Limitation of the study

Limitations are matters and occurrence that arise in a study which are out of the researcher’s
control (Simon & Goes, 2013). Every study, no matter how well it is conducted and constructed,
has limitation. The objective of this research is to provide a detailed explanation of project
management practices in a case study of Hawassa city Water and Sewerage Services Enterprise.
Project Management Institute’s best practice is taken as a reference for comparison due to its
reputation as a de facto international standard. This could also be the limitation of the research as
PMI model is predominantly developed from North American research and experience. The
chosen methodology that is case study by itself will be another limitation due to the fact that case
study is dependent on one side

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1.8 Organization of the Study
The study is organized into five chapters. Chapter one presents introduction of the study. Chapter
two presents the related literature review. Chapter three presents the research methodology,
Chapter four deals with results and discussion. Finally, Chapter five presents summary,
conclusion, recommendations and further research direction.

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 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES

This chapter presents a theoretical literature, empirical review which is a summary of previous
related studies and various literatures on the research problem areas. The available literature is
aimed to review empirical evidences to answer the research questions and identify the gap of
project management practice.

2.1. Theoretical literature

The purpose of this section is to discuss the evolution of project management, and concepts of
project management (PM), and Practices of project management.

2.1.1 Project Concept

The definition of a project has been the subject of considerable debate over the years among the
practitioners of project management and the goal of developing a comprehensive definition of
what a project is has remained elusive over the years (Cleland & Ireland, 2002; Crawford
&Pollack, 2007). Many definitions had been given to project by different authors, due to the fact
that project is a multidisciplinary word that has different meaning from different perspective and
orientations. Engineers, Architects, Managers and so on, have their definitions coined out from
their experiences as far as their professions are concerned. Project according to Project
Management Institute, PMI, (2013) is a temporary activity or endeavor undertaken purposely to
create a unique output (product or service) within budget, time and standards. Turner and Muller
(2003) in their own words defined project as “an organization of human materials and financial
resources in a novel way, to undertake a unique scope of work, of given specification, within
constraints of cost and time, defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives so as to achieve a
beneficial change”. The term project is described in different ways in the research literature. This
is illustrated below:

Project is defined as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.

Temporary means that the project has a definite ending point, and unique means that the product
or service differs in some distinguishing way from all similar products or services (PMI, 2013).

8
A project has been defined as “a complex, non-routine, one-time effort limited by time, budget,
resources, and performance specifications design to meet customer needs (Gray,& Larson ,
2008). According to (Wysocki, 2014) a project is defined as a sequence of unique, complex, and
connected activities that have one goal or purpose and that must be completed by a specific time,
within budget, and according to specification.

Projects, as a way to attain objectives, have been used since ancient times, generating important
results to society and culture like The Great Wall of China, Ancient Roman roads, the first steam
engine and many others. A project is a new, unique and temporary set of activities, with a
defined beginning and end, which uses resources in a planned and organized way with the
purpose of reaching certain objectives. The temporary nature of projects stands in contrast with
repetitive or permanent activities (Liviu et al., 2010). Duncan (1996:4) defines a project as “a
temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service”. Meaning that, every
project has a definite beginning and end by doing something which is not done before.

Project has been termed as a human endeavor and may legitimately be regarded by its
stakeholders as a project when it encompasses a unique scope of work that is constrained by cost
and time, the purpose of which is to create or modify a product or service so as to achieve
beneficial change defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives (Cooke-Davies, 2001, p.20).
Project is described as a “value creation undertaking based on specifics, which is completed in a
given or agreed time frame and under constraints, including resources and external
circumstances” (Ohara, 2005, p.15). A project is regarded as a business case that indicates the
benefits and risks of the venture, demonstrating a unique set of deliverables, with a finite life-
span, by using identified resources with identified responsibilities (Bradley, 2002).

The common themes in these definitions is that projects are unique in their output, having a
definite starting and ending point, are temporary in nature and are carried out to manifest the
organization’s strategic objectives. These temporary structures are playing a vital role in today’s
modern organizations and a growing interest is recorded in the significance of these temporary
structures in organizations.

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2.1.2 Management Definition
According to Dr. Karam (n.d), although Management as a discipline is more than 80 years old,
there is no common agreement among its experts and practitioners about its precise definition.
Moreover, Management is a universal phenomenon. It is a very popular and widely used term.
All organizations business, political, cultural or social are involved in management because it is
the management which helps and directs the various efforts towards a definite purpose.

On top of this, Henry (n.d) said that to manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to compound,
to co-ordinate and to control while Harold said that Management is the art of getting things done
through and within formally organized group. In addition to this, William defined management
as: Management is that function of an enterprise which concerns itself with direction and control
of the various activities to attain business objectives. Moreover, Management is the
organizational process that includes strategic planning, setting objectives, managing resources,
deploying the human and financial assets needed to achieve objectives, and measuring results
(Managementstudyguide.com, n. d).

Now, we have ideas of what a project and management is; let’s return to our expert sources for
the definitions of project management.

2.1.3 Project management definition

Project management is defined in different ways in the research literature. Some of these
definitions are as follows: The term Project Management is referred to as the “application of
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements”
(PMI 2013) within a specified period of time. When describing the functions of project
management, reference is included to an objective or purpose, a time-frame, budget and
resources as well as performance requirements (Larson & Gray 2011). The reference to these
elements, that include scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk,
procurement and finally how to integrate these elements to manage the project describe the nine
knowledge areas of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMI 2013). These knowledge
areas provide a map to manage a project according to a five step process of initiating, executing,
monitoring, controlling, and closing a project to deliver an outcome.

10
Cleland (2004) described project management as “an idea whose time has come - a distinct
discipline to be applied to the management of ad hoc activities in organizations”. The importance
of adhering to project management methods and strategies reduces project risks, cut costs and
improves success rates of projects. Project management is important for several reasons that
include: Organizing chaos, managing risk, managing quality, managing integration and change,
retaining and use of knowledge and finally learning from failure.

In its early days the project management was solely concerned with the implementation of single
project in that era (Kartam et al. 2000). It’s a way to generate consistent results when
undertaking new initiatives and a powerful business tool that can transform an organization’s
ability to perform well (Artto et. al, 2008). Project management can also be used thought out the
organization to boost personal and collaborative productivity. This can be done by building a
standardized system that embeds best practiced into the way projects are managed (Milosevic
and Patanakul, 2005).

2.1.4 Evolution of project management

The industrial revolution marked the beginning of what is referred to today as the modern
organization in early 50s. This is the era in which the economic activity was in full swing in
many western countries, with engineering and construction project making a major impact on the
environment. This rapid growth demanded a tool and technique which is capable of organizing
and managing projects at various locations (Abbasi and Al-Mharmah, 2000). During this era,
network analysis and planning techniques, like Program Evaluation and Review Technique
(PERT) and Critical Path Method (CPM) formed the focus of development in project
management. The 1960s witnessed an intellectual push to apply general management theories to
project management, particularly in terms of the "system approach" and organizational factors
such as differentiation, integration, and interdependence. The late years of 1960s witnessed a
shift form focus upon organizational and scheduling aspects to more comprehensive texts on
project management (Morris, 1994). In 1960s, these techniques continued to be popular in the
construction industry (Crawford et al 2005). Development in the field of project management in
the 1960s also included the formation of two major professional associations. IPMA
(International Project Management Association) & PMI (project Management Institute).Shenhar
(1996) cited in Crawford et al (2006) noted that the focus on teamwork was the defining feature

11
of project management in 1970s. While Stretton (1994) cited in Crawford et al (2006) notes 70’s
era as an emphasis on work breakdown structures and systems concepts. During 1980s, project
management began to become a mature management discipline "The eighties was a period of
integration of the many different areas of emerging experience into accepted principles and
practices common to most application areas" (Stretton, 1994b). The 1980s were typified by a
focus on project organization, project risk and the external influences (Crawford et al. 2006).
This era also led to the development of the international standards for project management.

2.1.5 Project Management Process Groups

There are five project management process groups required in any project. The process groups
have internal dependencies and are often iterated several times before a project is completed. A
process group involves project management processes, which are linked together as the outcome
of one process becomes the input in another (PMI, 2013).The process groups are not to be
considered as chronological project phases that end when a part or section of the project is
completed. In large projects, with distinct phases or sub-projects, the process groups are repeated
in every phase of the project and there are continuous interactions between the groups during the
project (PMI, 2013).

The five process groups identified by PMI (2013) are described below;

 Initiating Process Group

 Planning Process Group
 Executing Process Group
 Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
 Closing Process Group

2.1.5.1 Initiating process Group

The initiation of a new project is often done external to the project scope. The decision to start
initiation is based on basic descriptions of the scope, deliverables, duration, and forecasts of
resources required. This documentation is handled and further refined in the Initiation Process
Group to facilitate the formal authorization to start a new project. When initiating a phase in a
large, multiphase project, the processes are carried out to validate assumptions and decisions
made in the original project charter (Gupta, Aha, Nau, & Munoz-Avila, 2008). The project

12
charter is developed by the project organization, but approval and funding are handled
externally. By reviewing the initiation process at the start of each new phase or sub-project, the
project remains focused and start criteria is verified for each phase. The sub-project initiation
processes also perform further validation and development of the project scope (PMI, 2017).

The key benefits of this Process Group are that only projects that are aligned with the
organization’s strategic objectives are authorized and that the business case, benefits, and
stakeholders are considered from the start of the project. In some organizations, the project
manager is involved in developing the business case and defining the benefits. In those
organizations, the project manager generally helps write the project charter; in other
organizations, the pre-project work is done by the project sponsor, project management office
(PMO), portfolio steering committee, or other stakeholder group. This standard assumes the
project has been approved by the sponsor or other governing body and they have reviewed the
business documents prior to authorizing the project.

The project initiation phase involves the following six key steps:

Develop a Undertake a Establish the Appoint the

business feasible study terms of project team
scale reference

Perform phase Set up a project

review office

Figure 2.1 Project initiation phases

2.1.5.2 Planning Process Group

The main concern in the Planning Process Group is to develop and manage the project
management plan. The planning processes include identifying, defining and managing all parts
of the project management plan. These processes are continuously iterated as new information is
discovered to keep the project management plan updated (PMI, 2017). An updated project
management plan provides greater precision in the schedule, cost and resource requirements
which increase the chances to meet the defined project scope. It is important that the project team

13
involves stakeholders, who often have useful knowledge, in the project planning (Gupta, Aha,
Nau, & Munoz-Avila, 2008). Demands and requests by stakeholders must also be addressed as
early as possible in the planning processes. The importance of iterations in the Planning Process
Group is based on that many risks often are easier to identify after most of the planning has been
made. This means that the project team might have to reconsider the planning concerning
schedule, cost or resources with aspects of new identified risks or opportunities (Gupta, Aha,
Nau, & Munoz-Avila, 2008).

2.1.5.3. Executing Process Group

The Executing Process Group is the processes where the work defined in the project
management plan is executed. The process group involves coordination of resources and
integration of the activities according to the project management plan (Walker, 2007). There is
always a need for some re-planning in a project, due to variances in activity duration,
productivity etc. These changes in planning should be analyzed and when needed trigger an
update request in the project management plan. Analysis of these types of changes is conducted
by the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group (PMI, 2013).

2.1.5.4 Monitoring and Controlling Process Group

The processes used to observe and control the project execution in order to identify potential
problems, and take corrective action, are included in the Monitoring and Controlling Process
Group (PMI, 2013). When the project’s performance is observed and measured regularly,
differences against the project management plan is quickly identified. Identified problems or
differences in the project are investigated and can result in an update of the project management
plan. Through continuous monitoring, the project team gain insight into the whole project’s
progress and areas that require additional attention are highlighted (Guo-li, 2010).

2.1.5.5 Closing Process Group

This process group includes officially accepting the project as complete, documenting the final
performance and lessons learned, closing any contracts, and releasing the resources to work on
other endeavors. It addresses the culmination of strong project management skills demonstrated
throughout the other interrelated processes that guided the project. Good closure brings great
reviews and can increase future word of mouth referrals (PMI, 2013).

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Some additional characteristics of the project processes are:

 Process groups are linked by the results they produce; the result or outcome of on
becomes an input to another.
 Process groups are not discrete, one-time events; they are overlapping activities which
occur at varying levels throughout each phase of the project
 The process group interactions also cross phases such that closing one phase provides an
input to initiating the next which means that in actual projects there will be many
overlaps

2.2 Project Management Body of Knowledge Areas

The PMBOK is created by the PMI (Project Management Institute), to ensure a set of knowledge
principles in project management. The purpose is to guide a project manager to fulfill their
projects successfully (PMI, 2013). The PMBOK is a detailed framework of ten knowledge areas,
broken down into activities across five stages or process groups of the project life cycle, that are
claimed to encompass the sum of knowledge generally recognized as good practice in the project
management profession. In addition to these detailed knowledge areas, tools and techniques,
PMBOK also notes that effective project management requires an understanding of the
application area, the project environment, general management knowledge and skills, and
interpersonal skills.

According to PMI (2013), Project Management Body of Knowledge describes the sum of
knowledge for the profession of project managers. The PMI's creation was in 1969 with the
objective of serving the interests of the industry of project management. It is actively involved in
setting standards for this practice. The principle of PMI is based on the idea that the tools and
techniques of project management are common even among projects of the software industry and
the construction industry (PMI, 2013). In 1981 the direction of PMI authorized the development
of what has come to become A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge containing
the standards and guidelines of practice management, which are widely used in this role. First
published in 1987, the PMBOK becoming a bestseller among securities everlasting business
management and it approved as an American National Standard by the American National
Standards Institute (PMI, 2013).

15
2.2.1. Project Integration Management
According PMI, (2013) guide, the processes required to identify, combine, unify and coordinate
various activities and manage interdependencies to ensure various elements of the project are
properly coordinated. The major processes under project integration management are; develop
project charter, project plan development, project plan execution and overall change control. The
first process helps formally authorize the project and allow the project management to apply
organizational resources. Project plan development aids in taking the results of other/subsidiary
planning processes and putting them into a consistent, coherent document. Project plan execution
helps to carry out the project plan by performing the activities included therein and implementing
the approved process improvement plans and changes. Finally, overall change control supports in
coordinating changes across the entire project.

2.2.2. Project Scope management

It is the criteria (measure) for project success (time, cost and deliverables) must be determined
and agreed upon with all stakeholders at the beginning of the project. It ensures the inclusion of
all the work required to complete the project successfully.

According to PMI, (2013) the major project scope management processes includes initiation to
begin the next phase of the project. Then, scope management plan so as to know how the scope
will be defined, validated and controlled including how to prevent scope creep, how to handle
change requests, escalation path for disagreement on scope elements between stakeholders,
process for creating scope statement, WBS, how the deliverables will be accepted. According to
Schwalbe (2009), this process is the first step in project scope management in which the
project's size, complexity, importance, and other factors will affect how much effort is spent on
scope planning and the main output is a project scope management plan and the tools and
techniques are template forms, standards as well as expert judgment. The third process would be
collecting requirements and comprises a condition that must be met by a deliverable to satisfy a
contract standard including documented needs, wants, expectation of the stakeholders using
stakeholder requirements, project requirements, quality requirements with interview, focus
groups, observation, questionnaire, document analysis, etc. The next process to have is scope
definition which helps to define project and product scope, outlines what will be and what will
not be included in the deliverables, including details of risks, constraints and assumptions.

16
Project scope statement includes objectives, scope, requirements, boundaries, deliverables, cost
estimation, specifications, etc. The other main process is having a WBSto break down the major
project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components. WBS can provide alternatives if
the budget and schedule could not meet managements’ expectations. After having the WBS we
need to verify scope to formalizing acceptance of deliverables from stakeholders/customers near
the end of project/ phase deliverables. Finally, there need to be a scope change control for
controlling and assessing changes to project scope. It measures the work product against the
scope baseline to ensure the project stays on track proactively so as to prevent unnecessary
changes to the project.

2.2.3. Project Time Management

Project time management includes all processes that are required to ensure a timely completion
of the project. Major processes in time management are activity definition, activity sequencing,
activity resource estimating, activity duration estimating, schedule development and schedule
control (PMI, 2004).

The time schedule is one of the most important plans in a project. The development of time
schedules should be based on the previously developed WBS. The level of work in planning,
monitoring and controlling schedules in a project is often directly reflected in the execution and
outcome of the project (Antvik & Sjöholm, 2007).

In order to develop realistic and achievable schedules, it is important that activities are
sequenced accurately. The activity sequencing involves identifying logical relationships and
dependencies between the project activities (Guo-li, 2010). The process of activity resource
estimation involves determining what resources and what quantity of each resource that will be
used in the project. Required resources can be personnel, equipment, and material. This process
also includes determining when each resource will be available to the project (PMI, 2004).

There are in general two methods of resource estimation; top-down and bottom up. If the project
has limited detailed information, the top-down method is often used. It is carried out by the
higher management of the project and is based on experience from similar projects. The bottom-
up method is also called qualitative based estimations and involves each specific work category

17
in the process. The bottom-up method is more time consuming to perform, but often generates a
more accurate result (Guo-li, 2010).

The activity duration estimation should be based on the project scope, required types of
resources, estimated resource quantities and the availability of resources. The result of the
process is later used to develop schedules. To get an accurate estimation of duration it should be
carried out by a person or group who is familiar with the specific activity (Antvik & Sjöholm,
2007). The development of schedules is often carried out through the use of project management
software. If the previous estimations are made correctly the schedule development mostly
consists of aggregating the information into one document (Antvik & Sjöholm, 2007).

To develop an efficient schedule, it is important that the critical chain is identified and that the
lags in the schedule are used to allocate the project's resources effectively (PMI, 2004). A time
schedule without control is fairly useless to the project organization. The control must be carried
out regularly and relatively often in order to detect deviations early. This makes it possible for
the project team to take necessary actions to avoid longer delays (Antvik & Sjöholm, 2007). The
schedule control and development must be an iterative process in order for the project team to
have updated schedules throughout the project (Guo-li, 2010).

2.2.4 Project Cost Management

Project cost management includes the processes of cost estimating, cost budgeting and cost
control. The main objective of cost management is to complete the project within the approved
budget (PMI, 2004).

The project budget is very important and influences all areas in both planning and execution of a
project. It is important to keep track of total costs as well as costs for different work packages in
a project (Guo-li, 2010).

A professionally developed budget does not only control the project costs but also creates good
conditions for the development of a well-functioning cash flow in the project. The consequence
of insufficient cash flow in a project is often connected to large extra costs and delays as there is
a high risk for a temporary stop of the whole project (Antvik & Sjöholm, 2007).

18
The cost estimation should be based on the project scope, the WBS and be connected to the
project plan. To reach a correct estimation it is important that each activity is estimated based on
the conditions of the execution of the specific activity. Since there often are several factors that
are uncertain in a project, a reserve cost can be assigned to activities with a low level of detailed
information or work packages with potential high financial risks (Adisa Olawale & Sun, 2010).

To gain financial control of the project it is important to carry out proper cost control. The pre
calculated budget is the baseline of the financial aspects in the project but it is only with an
updated and accurate control of the costs that the budget can be used effectively in a project
(Antvik & Sjöholm, 2007). Cost control should include a comparison of planned value and the
actual cost of each work package, but also include analysis of the earned value for the costs spent
on the project. A correct performed analysis of the current financial status is necessary in order
to develop forecasts of future, and final, costs of the project (Guo-li, 2010).

2.2.5. Project Quality Management

Project quality management involves all processes and activities in the project organization to
determine quality policies and control that the performed work is of a satisfying quality. The
major processes in quality management are quality planning, quality assurance and quality
control (PMI, 2004).The project team must identify which quality standards that are relevant to
the project in order to perform quality control. The identified standards should be considered the
baseline in the development of a quality plan. It is important that the quality plan not only consist
of required levels of quality in different activities but also methods to achieve the requested
quality (Wei & Yang, 2010). The objective of quality control is to ensure that the quality plan is
implemented in the execution of the project and that established standards are met. In order to
perform quality control, the project team must develop methods to monitor and control specific
activities of the project. It is important that the implementation and control of the quality plan are
carried out thoroughly since the quality plan otherwise will be of no use to the project
organization (PMI, 2004).

2.2.6. Project Human Resources Management

Project human resources management is the processes used to ensure that the project
organization is established in a way that provides the project with good conditions to succeed.
Major processes in human resources management are human resource planning, acquire project
19
team, develop project team and manage project team (PMI, 2004). In the early phases of a
project, it is necessary for the project management to plan how the project team should be
organized and determine what roles that are required (Al-Maghraby, 2008). Each role in the
project team should be assigned to areas of responsibility, authority and required competence
(Antvik & Sjöholm, 2007).

It is important that a role with a defined area of responsibility also has the authority to make
decisions within that area. Responsibility without authority makes it very hard for middle
management to influence the work, which most likely will affect the project negatively (Walker,
2007). Staff changes, especially when key-roles are involved, often affect the project negatively
in aspects of time, cost and team development. The project management should, therefore, strive
to make as few changes as possible in key roles of the project team (Al-Maghraby, 2008).

2.2.7. Project Communications Management

Project communications management is the processes used to ensure that required information is
distributed to the right person at the right time. The major processes in communications
management are communications planning, information distribution, performance reporting and
manage stakeholders (PMI, 2004). How communication in a project is handled must be planned
in order to perform effective work and minimize the risks. A communication plan is necessary to
ensure that both internal and external project communication is carried out effectively. The plan
should contain details regarding what type of information that needs to be distributed, who needs
to receive the information, the purpose of the information, the frequency of the distribution and
the responsible person to issue the information (Ramsing, 2009).

The communication plan should also include what meetings are required within the project and a
specification of participants, purpose, and frequency for each type of meeting (PMI, 2004). It is
important that the project management performs frequently progress reports, mainly to inform
clients and other stakeholders of the status of the project but also for the management team to
keep control of all areas of the project.

A progress report should focus on deviations from the project plan and contain current status of
the project, executed and planned actions, uncertainties, and forecasts regarding cost and time
(Antvik & Sjöholm, 2007). When deviations from the baseline are identified in the progress

20
report, the management team should include recommended corrective actions in order to bring
the project in line with the project plan (Ramsing, 2009).

2.2.8 Project Risk Management

The main objectives of project risk management is to increase the probability and impact of
events that are positive to the project and decrease the probability and impact of events that are
negative to the project.

Risk management is one of the most critical factors in project management practices to verify a
project is successfully completed. But, what does “risk” mean? In the publication of Project
Management Book (PMI, 2004, p. 238) is given the following definition for the risk: “Project
risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or a negative effect on at
least one project objective, such as time, cost, quality”. Kaplan (1997, p.410) expressed risk “as a
mathematical combination of an accident’s event probability of occurrence and the consequence
of that event, should it occur”. Having defined the meaning of risk, the next step is to determine
the meaning of Risk Management process. Risk Management process is a formal process, via
which we can achieve identification, analysis and response to risks, throughout the lifecycle of a
project, in order to obtain the optimum degree of risk elimination, mitigation and control (Wang
and Dulaimi, 2004). Thus, risk management is in direct relation to the success completion of a
project. There is a detailed and widely expressed literature about accepted risk management
process. A simple, common and systematic approach to risk management, suggested by
Turnbaugh (Turnbaugh, 2005), has three basic stages:

 Risk Identification – determining the types of risks, identify, and assess the potential risks
in the project.
 Risk Quantification – the probabilistic characteristics and the degree of the Impacts for
their impacts.
 Risk Response and Development Control – defining opportunities for managing changes
in risk during the project life cycle.

All projects have uncertainties that can either turn out to be an opportunity or a risk.
Uncertainties often occur in areas where the management has little information of the current

21
conditions. By effective management, many uncertainties can be evolved into an opportunity
rather than a risk (Antvik & Sjöholm, 2007).

Risk analysis is often carried out early in a project when the information is highly limited within
several areas. To manage risks and opportunities effectively, the analysis must be iterated
throughout the project as more and more information becomes clear to the management team
(Kululanga & Kuotcha, 2010).

The purpose of a risk analysis is to gain control of the uncertainties in the project. When risks are
identified it is therefore important that a strategy is developed in order to response to the risk
(PMI, 2004). A response strategy can be to eliminate the probability or impact of a risk or to
accept the risk and calculate with a potential extra cost if the risk occurs (Kululanga & Kuotcha,
2010). A common, and effective, approach to analyze risks is to estimate the probability and
impact of a risk. The risk response is then based on the combined value of each risk, which leads
to a risk management where the response is in relation to the magnitude of the risk (Briner,
Hastings, & Geddes, 1996).

Bedford and Cook (2001) characterize risk with two elements: hazard (danger) and uncertainty
(quantified by probability). Uncertainty is part of our everyday life, since we are unable to
predict the future conditions. An uncertainty can lead project to threats of failure or, equally,
opportunities.

Same authors believe that risks are caused by lack of uncertainty and that uncertainty is more
prevalent in the early project phases. Since, it is very difficult to predict all factors at the
beginning of a project, yet to take decisions; there is a risk that the results of those decisions will
be different than is expected. The definition of risk according to Project Management Institute,
(PMI, 2004) states that risk should consider both the positive and negative effects of a project
objective. This is a broad view of risk that includes the terms of threats and opportunities, but is
something that can work in theory and fail in practice.

Risks and uncertainty could be addressed either as random or epistemic. Random risk means that
we can estimate it using probabilities but it still has random outcomes, not predictable. This type
or risk can occur because of natural unpredictable variation. According to Pitz and Wallsten
(2000, p. 26) “the knowledge of experts cannot be expected to reduce random uncertainty

22
although their knowledge may be useful in quantifying the uncertainty.” An epistemic risk or
uncertainty is due to lack of knowledge about the behavior of the system. The epistemic
uncertainty can, in principle, be eliminated by sufficient study and, therefore, expert judgments
may be useful in its reduction (Oakley and O’ Hagan, 2003, p. 123). An epistemic uncertainty is
thus an “unknown event from an unknown set of possible outcomes” (Hillson, 2003, p.88).
Another and perhaps less complex explanation can be found in the philosophical view of
decision theory (Hansson, 1994), which mentions that risk is somewhat calculable, since it has to
do with probabilities; whereas uncertainty has no previous history relate to probabilities. Risks
and uncertainties are handled everyday on a construction project. A dynamic risk is a risk where
there is a possibility to gain something in the end, whereas a static risk has only losses in the
outcomes (Flanagan and Norman, 1993). From all the above, we can consider that in the early
stage of a project, there is a high degree of uncertainty, which decreases when we have a high
degree of background knowledge. It is however essential to mention that a

Project Manager should always be aware both of random and epistemic uncertainty, because they
both have great impact in the project outcome.

2.2.9 Project Procurement Management

Project procurement management is the processes to control and administrate contracts and
purchase orders from sources external to the project organization. The major processes in
procurement management are plan purchases and acquisitions, plan to contract, request seller
responses, select sellers, contract administration and contract closure (PMI, 2004). The planning
of procurement management should be carried out early in the project and focus on analysis of
which products or services that need to be purchased. After the initial planning, a procurement
plan should be developed that includes all major procurements that are needed in the project
(PMI, 2004).

A procurement plan is an important tool for efficient procurements throughout the project. It
should be developed based on the project´s WBS and time schedule in order to include all
procurements and to be timely integrated in the project. The procurement plan includes budgeted
cost and required finish date for each procurement (Eriksson & Westerberg, 2011). Especially
important is the identification of procurements with a long lead time, since they have to be
initiated early. A poorly developed procurement plan, or the lack of one, is likely to cause high

23
procurement costs and in worst case even force the production to be stopped (Antvik & Sjöholm,
2007).

In larger projects, there is often a procurement manager assigned to control and handle
procurement activities. The procurement manager is responsible to plan and execute purchases.
An important part of the procurement manager’s work is to evaluate quotes in order to achieve
cost effective contractors (Eriksson & Westerberg, 2011). To keep control of the cost forecasts in
the project the procurement manager must follow-up the actual cost in relation to budgeted cost
for each purchase (Antvik & Sjöholm, 2007).

2.2.10. Project Stake Holder Management

The stakeholder theory coined by Freeman forms a ground for many other developments on
stakeholders‟ management. Freeman’s stakeholders theory evolved through his “Strategic
Management: A Stakeholder Approach” which became the theoretical ground for further
developments. Stakeholder theory is a theory of organizational management and ethics (Phillips,
Freeman, & Wicks, 2003). It opposes the free market norm of shareholder capitalization and
promotes stakeholder maximization. For many decades economists have been defining the
purpose of a business as an instrument to capitalize on shareholders, this was also referred to the
legal purpose of a business.

Stakeholder scholar Stout (2012) stated that this is a misinterpretation as law has not defined the
purpose of a business to capitalize on shareholders; law simply says to do the lawful. This may
also reflect the purpose of a project as an instrument established to deliver benefits to its
stakeholders that include the project owner (Fageha &Aibinu, 2012).The stakeholder view of
strategy integrates both a resource-based view and a market-based view, and adds a socio-
political level. One common version of stakeholder theory seeks to define the specific
stakeholders of a company (the normative theory of stakeholder identification) and then examine
the conditions under which managers treat these parties as stakeholders (the descriptive theory of
stakeholder salience). A meta-analysis study on stakeholder theory in project management
discipline; authors found that the PMBOK guide definition has become the dominant stakeholder
definition for the field of project management as of 2006 onwards (Littau et al., 2010).

24
Every project has stakeholders who are impacted by or can impact the project in a positive or
negative way (PMI, 2004). Some stakeholders may have a limited ability to influence the
project’s work or outcomes; others may have significant influence on the project and its expected
outcomes. Academic research and analyses of high-profile project disasters highlight the
importance of a structured approach to the identification, prioritization, and engagement of all
stakeholders. The ability of the project manager and team to correctly identify and engage all
stakeholders in an appropriate way can mean the difference between project success and failure.
To increase the chances of success, the process of stakeholder identification and engagement
should commence as soon as possible after the project charter has been approved, the project
manager has been assigned and the team begins to form. Project Stakeholder Management
includes the processes required to identify the people, groups, or organizations that could impact
or be impacted by the project, to analyze stakeholder expectations and their impact on the
project, and to develop appropriate management strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders
in project decisions and execution (PMI,2013). The processes support the work of the project
team to analyze stakeholder expectations, assess the degree to which they impact or are impacted
by the project, and develop strategies to effectively engage stakeholders in support of project
decisions and the planning and execution of the work of the project.

2.3 Project Management Practices

This study is based on the chaos theory. In common usage, ‘chaos’ means a state of disorder.
However, chaos theory is a field of study in applied mathematics and studies the behavior of
dynamic systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, an effect which is popularly
referred to as the butterfly effect. Small differences in initial conditions, such as those due to
rounding errors in numerical computation, yield widely diverging outcomes for chaotic systems,
rendering long term prediction impossible in general (Nicollier,2008).

This happens even though these systems are deterministic, meaning that their future behavior is
fully determined by their initial conditions, with no random elements involved. In other words,
the deterministic nature of these systems does not make them predictable. This behavior is
known as deterministic chaos, or simply chaos. Chaotic behavior can be observed in many
natural systems, such as the weather. For a dynamic system, to be chaotic it must have the

25
following properties: It must be sensitive to initial conditions; it must be topologically mixing;
and its periodic orbits must be dense (Ford and McLaughlin, 2013).

Project management systems are considered dynamic systems, similar to those in nature, which
means they change over time and are hard to predict. This increasingly fast-paced system is ‘a
breeding ground’ for a chaotic management system (Yoke, 2003). This breeding ground is
creating a complexity explosion, which is affecting the way project managers need to manage.
Even though they are changing, there is usually an underlying predictability that can be
identified. This is where chaotic behavior comes into play. Behavior in systems can be placed
into two zones. One, the stable zone, where the system, if disturbed, returns to its initial state and
two, the zone of instability where some small activity leads to further divergence (Rosenhead,
1998).

Project management practices are gaining increasing visibility and importance to organizations
(Badewi, 2016; Kwak & Anbari, 2009; Zhai, Xin, & Cheng, 2009); however, project
management remains a highly problematical endeavor (Mir & Pinnington, 2014). The Standish
Group International’s Chaos Manifesto 2015 shows that in the information and technology (IT)
sector of activity, in 2015, only 29% of all the projects surveyed succeeded (i.e., were delivered
on time, on budget, and with the required features and functions); 52% were challenged (late,
over budget, and/or with less than the required features and functions); and 19% failed (canceled
prior to completion or delivered and never used). Nevertheless, these results show an increase in
project success rates since 2008, when the success rate was only 32%, highlighting the
importance of applying better project management practices (The Standish Group, 2015).
According to Kerzner (2015), the use of the best project management practices leads to added
business value, greater benefit realization, and better benefits management activities.

Project management practices are required to ensure project success (Badewi, 2016). Several
studies have been conducted to demonstrate the value of project management (Joslin & Mu ¨ller,
2015; Lappe & Spang, 2014; Mir & Pinnington, 2014; Thomas & Mullaly, 2008; Zhai et al.,
2009). Several authors have shown that project management delivers several tangible and
intangible benefits to organizations for example, tangible benefits, such as better financial ratio
of return on investment (Ibbs & Kwak, 2000), and intangible benefits, such as corporate culture,

26
organization efficiency, and client satis- faction (Andersen & Vaagaasar, 2009; Eskerod & Riis,
2009; Mengel, Cowan-Sahadath, & Follert, 2009).

Project management bodies of knowledge are used by practitioners as “best practice” guides to
what the project management discipline comprises. The project management body of knowledge
is the sum of knowledge within the profession of project management, which includes proven
traditional practices that are widely applied, as well as innovative practices that are emerging in
the profession, including published and unpublished material (Peng, Junwen, & Huating, 2007).
There has been an emergence of multiple bodies of knowledge and/or standards, including A
Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Sixth Edition, from
the Project Management Institute (PMI, 2017); APM Body of Knowledge (APM BOK) from the
Association for Project Management (APM, 2012); Individual Competence Baseline (ICB4)
from the International Project Management Association (IPMA, 2015); and A Guidebook of
Project & Program Management for Enterprise Innovation (P2M) from the Project Management
Association of Japan (PMAJ, 2005). The attempts to systematize the knowledge required to
manage projects through bodies of knowledge are largely based on the under- lying assumption
that there are identifiable patterns and generalizations, from which rules, controls, and guidelines
for “best practices” can be established that are replicable, even if not in every circumstance. The
PMBOK Guide has been used as the source of this study owing to its extent of use in the context
studied. Although the project management paradigm is surprisingly well defined through generic
bodies of knowledge, project management is highly contingent on the organizational context,
such as the structure of the business or sector, the size, and the organization environment (Besner
& Hobbs, 2008, 2012a, 2012b; Cooke-Davies, Crawford, & Lechler, 2009; Hobbs, Aubry, &
Thuillier, 2008; Zwikael, 2009). However, the PMBOK Guide, for example, recognized that
‘Good practice’ does not mean that the knowledge described should always be applied uniformly
to all projects” (Project Management Institute, 2017, p. 28); the organization and/or project
management team is responsible for determining what is appropriate for any given project.

Project management practices, when applied properly, lead to an increase in the probability of
project success (Thomas & Mullaly, 2008). However, each organization must assess the
applicability of each practice because their use may not have the same effect for different
organizations. Project management, therefore, can be implemented by means of tools and

27
techniques, which should be tailored to the organization’s context. Though there are different
indicated project management practices defined by different scholars, this study will be
benchmarking project management practices discussed in the PMBOK Guide, from the Project
Management Institute (PMI, 2013). Project Management Institute is a U.S. not-for-profit
organization founded in 1969. The PMBOK Guide defines guidelines for project management
that aim to promote and expand knowledge in the field. According to (Wideman, 1998:7),
“Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) published by the Project Management
Institute (PMI) represents the knowledge and practice that is generally accepted and unique or
nearly unique to the field of project management”. The sixth edition of the PMBOK Guide
identifies 10 Knowledge Areas: Project Integration Management, Project Scope Management,
Project Schedule or Time Management, Project Cost Management, Project Quality Management,
Project Resource Management, Project Communications Management, Project Risk
Management, Project Procurement Management, and Project Stakeholder Management.

2.4. Challenges of Project Management Practices

Every project is different by its nature that is, its type, size, its geographic location, uniqueness,
personnel involved in the project. Hence, according to PMI (2013); project execution in
inherently risky and the lack of appropriate approach to addressing these risks has led to a lot of
undesirable results.

The major challenges of project management are to accomplish all of the aims and objectives of
the project while at the same time mitigating the constraints of the projects (Lewis, 2006).
Notably, Lewis (2006) outlined the scope, time, cost and quality of being the major project
constraints. The role of senior leadership in shaping project organization is crucial.
Implementation of project management practices in the project depends on the existing
organizational culture, which directly influences the project organization. Project managers must
focus on key challenges areas while implementing knowledge areas. Role of senior leadership,
effectiveness of PMO, human resource management factors, PM training, poor adoption of PM
standards, and triple constraints are some of the important challenges that can occur while
implementing best practices (Chemuturi, 2013).

From of all literatures that discussed about project management challenges here are the
summarized most known challenges of project management. Such as government policies,

28
insufficient funds, withdrawal by donors, shortage of foreign exchange, inappropriate contract
conditions, political priorities, poverty, socio-cultural conditions, corruption, and low
institutional and human capacity are considered to be the major factors behind the poor
performance of projects. (Idoko, 2008), (Jekale, 2004), (Andersen,2008)]. Subsequent
paragraphs provide detail discussion of the challenges.

2.4.1. Challenges with Human resources

The human resource need of project management is the biggest challenge of project management
practice in the 21st century (Mir & Pinnington, 2014). It is the human resource that plan and
execute the project, and ensuring that project teams are competent enough to successfully
manage the project to exceed stakeholders’ expectation is crucial. Every project has different
human resources needs with different skills. Most time it is difficult to get the right employees
on the project and this staffing problem may therefore have several implications on the success
of the project (Thomas & Mullaly, 2007; Verzuh, 2008).

2.4.2 Costing and estimating the resources

Project management practice depends a lot on forecasting in planning for the projects and the
organization (Verzuh. 2008). So, what happen when things deviate from the initial planning as
arranged or intended? This could pose serious threat to the success of the project and that of the
organization. It therefore important that costing of the projects are as accurate as possible before
the project commence. A lot of project failures known in literature are mostly due to wrong
estimate or costing problem.

2.5. Benefits of Project Management Practices

As believed by various authors and practitioners of project management, although the absence of
project management will not necessarily lead to project failure, its practice has a great deal of
contribution on the successful completion of the project within its constraints and effective use of
scarce resources. The importance of Project management in managing projects successfully
cannot be understated (Kerzner, 2009). Project management is helpful to have a clear definition
of projects, to define and manage scope and project related risks, to prepare schedules and
budgets, to gather all the possible requirements, to structure the work needed to be accomplished,

29
to assign the necessary resources and their effective management, to monitor and control the
activities, to manage stakeholders

According to Atif (2010), most of the emergent industries since world-war II are project
intensive. This widespread use of projects in organizations demanded an approach that can
efficiently manage these temporary endeavors which are critical to the organizations strategic
objectives. Generally, PM is used extensively in some form within many organizations. There
has been no identified profession or industry where project management practices will not work
(Abadir, 2011). According to (Atif, 2010; Abebe, 2017), Project Management has led a number
of organizations to be more effective and efficient in delivery of their products and services, to
have more accurate budgeting and scheduling and improved productivity. Application of Project
Management – distinguishes what types of work should and should not be categorized as projects
and includes the general flow of projects from idea into deployment. This step also defines and
outlines project management process groups Using PM generally helps to clarify goals and
identify problem areas and risk; to isolates activities and easily monitor outcomes PMI (2013).
Further, using PM enhances accountability as works can be isolated and responsibilities can be
assigned.

Generally, According to Abadir (2011) and others, PM can best be applied when: Resources are
to be shared among many units, Special attention or focus is to be given to important
undertakings (example to focus attention on specific customers in specific market), Integration of
systems and subsystems is sought within independent units, Dealing with ad hoc, complex,
unfamiliar, unique, or rare; activities, problems and opportunities. Dealing with tasks that require
pooling of many resources and capacities from diverse sources (example providing emergency
response during disasters), It is desired to bring a wide range of experience and viewpoints into
focus (example in research and product development or solving complex problems), Dealing
with an undertaking that require massive input of capital, technology, skills, and resources,
When there is a need to manage change, When it is desired to have unified management of a
project-based contract in order to avoid the customer work with many different functions.

30
Here are some benefits of project management practices that are mentioned by Michel (2014):

 Reduced product development time

 Extended product range
 Increased use of multi-functional teams and partnerships
 Creation of global service centers from cross-functional teams
 Increased importance of controlling individual activity
 Multi-national approach to development
 Standardization of information technology
 Rapid restructuring of industry sectors through acquisition and joint-ventures
 Restricted government spending
 Management of external resources and contractors
 Ease of access to information and knowledge

According to Meredith and Mantel (2010), actual experience with project management indicates
that the majority of the organizations using it experience better control and better customer
relations. Other advantages include lower costs, higher quality and reliability, higher profit
margins, a sharper orientation towards results, improved interdepartmental co-ordination and
higher employee morale.

Other benefits identified by Kerzner (2009)) are: improved efficiency and increased profitability
through better utilization of limited resources; and enhanced planning, estimating and cost
control leading to a more consistent achievement of milestones and objectives. The Project
Management Institute (2013) further confirms that project management helps organizations meet
their customers’ needs by standardizing routine tasks and reducing the number of tasks that could
potentially be forgotten. Project management thus ensures that available resources are used in
the most effective and efficient manner. Project management also provides senior executives
with insight into what is happening and where things are going within their organization. The
application of project management principles enables senior executives to: establish measures of
success, enable customer focus and alignment, quantify value commensurate with cost, optimize
the use of organizational resources, incorporate quality principles, put strategic plans into
practice, ensure fast time-to-market (for example new products or services). Furthermore, it is
stated that project management has gained popularity because of significant changes in the

31
workplace. Some of these changes include: downsizing (fewer people to do more tasks), Projects
and services have grown larger and more complex, fierce global competition, easier access to
information through vast communications networks, more sophisticated customers demanding
higher quality goods and services, exponential technological growth, multinational organizations
seeking to establish uniform practices for managing projects.

2.6 Empirical Literature Review

This section contains reviewed literature that was relevant to this study. Literature reviewed
show that, there have been studies done to assess the project management practices. However,
since this is new discipline not much has been done in terms of research in the area of project
management practices.

A major study of project management practices at a global level was conducted by Price Water
House Coopers in 2021 in which two hundred responses were gathered from a balanced group of
companies from thirty different countries across the globe. Some of the relevant key findings for
the study are as follows: That there was a positive correlation between project management
practices and project performance. A higher project management level would most likely deliver
superior performance in terms of overall project delivery and business benefits; that the current
status of project management practices indicating that the current state of project management in
organizations is at the level of informal processes; that many of the project failures are due to an
imbalanced organizational structure, poor experiences in project life cycle management, poor
utilization of project tools and techniques.

Atif, (2020) conducted a research entitled Investigating Project Management Practices in Public
Sector Organizations of a Less Developed Country. The research identify the different types of
constraints associated with the projects in a less developed country. These constraints are
categorized by the theme of less developed country, public sector organization, culture and
project management. This is done on purpose so as to distinguish between the issues which can
be improved by taking an initiative at the organizational level and the issues which can only be
improved by taking a major policy initiative at the political level. The researcher main findings
were: Late approval of funds from the client side is an issue. This affects the project in a sense
that to start the work on the project the project manager has to allocate funds to the contractor. In
most of the projects the late release of funds from the client side effects the project activities.

32
There is no process of capturing the knowledge or experienced gained from the project. There is
no lessons learned report or a meeting happens in the organization once the project is finished.
No electronic data management system available in the organization to take help from the
previous projects. There is no proper Project Management Office (PMO) in the organization.

The decision power of the project manager is limited. The delegation of power to the middle
managers is not happening in the organization. He conclude the above mentioned factors will
have a direct impact on project management practices.

Ebise (2022) conducted an assessment on the project management practice of Oromia integrated
urban land information system coordination project office. The study tried to assess the project
management practice of an organization implementing large government projects in one of the
regions of the country. Descriptive research design was used in the study and the assessment
methodology was adopted from the study conducted to assess the project management maturity
of organizations in USA and modified to be used for the study. The researcher developed a
questionnaire based on the practice of five project management process groups.

The study discussed in detail in the literature review part about; how effective project
management increases the chance of successfully completing projects within time, cost and
quality constraints.

Project management also helps to achieve other project constraints such as within customer
satisfaction, and providing the business value of the project. The activities being undertaken in
the Project Office can be classified as projects because they exhibit the properties of a project
such as consisting sequence of dependent activities, having start and finish dates, quality
requirements…etc.

Although there are routine activities, the activities related to the objectives of the Project Office
are projects. The researcher stated that the Project Office can make use of the results of this study
to identify areas of improvements in order to manage its projects in a more effective and efficient
manner.

The assessment result obtained from questionnaire survey shows that the Project Office exceeds
Project Management Maturity Level 2. This implies that the Project management is in its lower

33
level of maturity in the Office. This is an indication for the need of substantial improvements to
increase its level of maturity, which contributes to the successful completion of the projects. The
study found out that project management is in its lower level of maturity that implies substantial
opportunity exists for improvements.

The study conducted by Frezewed (2021), tries to identify the practice of project risk
management in Batu and Dukem Town water supply projects. The researcher has used
descriptive research method.

The data collection tools were interview and questionnaires. The findings of the study revealed
that there is no policy or guideline that is designed on how to manage risks in the projects. A
standard risk management process also does not exist within the projects. The outcome of the
research confirmed that risk management practice is implemented to some extent but there is a
gap between the theory of project risk management which should be applied and the actual
practice that is performed by the two water supply projects.

In summary, international and local studies have been reviewed. These studies focused on
assessment of project management practices in light of one or two knowledge areas. All the
studies did not examine the project management practice in light of the ten knowledge areas
which was the focus of this study.

2.7 Summary of Literature Gap

Project is a temporary endeavor to achieve goals. It has different characteristics such as,
uniqueness, unfamiliarity, having a specific objective, temporary activity, etc. Of the different
categories of projects, Real Estate project is among the project in civil engineering and
construction classes. To accomplish project effectively and efficiently, modern project
management is essential. Project management passes through a serious of phases which are
project intention, project planning, project execution, project monitoring and controlling, and
project closing. Project management has also different knowledge areas which are complete sets
of concepts, terms and activities that create specialized professional fields. There are ten project
management knowledge areas stated by PMI (2013) and four additional project management
knowledge area for construction extension by PMI (2013) . There are different studies conducted
in the area of project management. Some of them are reviewed in the empirical literature part.

34
The literature was reviewed with respect to the objective of the study that is assessment of
project management practices in light of 10 project management knowledge areas, challenges
and benefits of project management practices. Project management practices are required to
ensure project success (Badewi, 2016). Several studies have been conducted to demonstrate the
value of project management (Joslin & Mu ¨ller, 2015; Lappe & Spang, 2014; Mir & Pinnington,
2014; Thomas & Mullaly, 2008; Zhai et al., 2009). Several authors have shown that project
management delivers several tangible and intangible benefits to organizations for example,
tangible benefits, such as better financial ratio of return on investment (Ibbs & Kwak, 2000), and
intangible benefits, such as corporate culture, organization efficiency, and client satis- faction
(Andersen & Vaagaasar, 2009; Eskerod & Riis, 2009; Mengel, Cowan-Sahadath, & Follert,
2009). Project management practices, when applied properly, lead to an increase in the
probability of project success (Thomas & Mullaly, 2008). However, each organization must
assess the applicability of each practice because their use may not have the same effect for
different organizations. Project management, therefore, can be implemented by means of
knowledge areas, which should be tailored to the organization’s context. Although, many
researchers have been conducted on projects. Their findings are related to problems that result in
delay, poor quality and cost overrun of projects. Some of these are absence of well trained and
professionally qualified staff, offensive and poor attitude and behavior on project management
works, inadequate facilities and equipment required, and others have been considered as
constraints which make our situation is different from other developed countries in completing
the project successfully. Most of the researches that is conducted previously focus on one
element of project process or one piece of knowledge areas. It is also unclear from previous
studies whether it is the use of project management knowledge areas actually benefits to
organizational success in managing projects. Notably, there is insufficient appreciation of the
challenges confronting project management practice.

Hence, this study is different from those researchers discussed above in that mainly their focus
areas are investigating of PM practices by using only one up to three knowledge areas. The
nature of PM needs integrated use of knowledge areas so that by identifying one problem doesn’t
give a better solution for the practice. Based on this gap the researcher of this study established
the research questions.

35
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODS AND METHODOLOGY

This chapter will present the methodology applied to fill the literature gap and to answer the
research questions. The chapter describes the chosen research approach, research design,
population, the sample selection and the data collection methods.

3.1 Description of the Study Area

Hawassa city is one of agglomerating urban centers in the previous Southern Nations
Nationalities and Peoples Regional State established on the shore of Lake Hawassa. It is located
in the Great Rift Valley region; 275 km south of Addis Ababa via DebreZeit and 1125 km north
of Nairobi. The city served as the capital of the Southern Nations Nationalities & Peoples
Regional State and now adays serving as the capital of Sidama National Regional State.
Geographically it lays between 703’ latitude North and 380 28’ longitudes East. It is bounded by
the lake in the West, Oromia Region in the North, Wondo genet woreda in the East and
ShebedinoWoreda in the south. Hawassa has a total area of 157.2 sq.km divided into Eight (8)
sub cities divided into 32 Kebeles. These Eight sub cities are Hayek Dare, Menehariya, Tabore,
Misrak, Bahile Adarash, Addis Ketema, Hawela Tula and Mehalketema sub city. The mean
annual precipitation is 933.4 mm. Temperatures vary between 5℃ in winter and 34℃ in
summer. The city experiences sub humid-called 'Woyina Dega' type of climate. It has the highest
and lowest temperature of 340c and 3oc respectively. The average annual temperature is 20.3oc.
Hawassa gets rainfall twice in a year. It falls during 'Belg' and 'Kiremt' (winter… rainy season).
The first rainfall falls from 'Megabit' to the mid of 'Ginbot' (May) and the next comes from 'Sene'
(June) to the mid of ‘Meskerem’(September). Due to the city‘s location in the Great Rift Valley
on the shore of rift valley Lake Hawassa, its weather condition changes dramatically from day to
night.

3.2 Research Design

The research design constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement, and analysis of
data and research design is the plan and structure of investigation so conceived as to obtain
answers to research questions (Mohamed, 2011).

36
In order to answer the research question and to draw some conclusion, a descriptive case study
design was used. The rationale for choosing this method is to attempts to explain while providing
additional information about the research topic. This is where research is trying to describe what
is happening in more detail, filling in the missing parts and expanding understanding on the
theme. Thus, the research design is effectively enumerate and explain the assessment of project
management practices. So it is extremely important to get as much data as possible for later
analysis to ensure the effectiveness of project management practices and investigate how the
knowledge areas of project management adapts properly in the project.

3.3 Research Approach of the Study

In research there are two types of research approaches namely; deduction and induction. In this
study, the researcher formulates some research questions which are anchored on the statement of
the problem, and research objective. To address these questions, the quantitative and qualitative
data will collect, code, analyze, interpreted and present. Therefore, for this study, the inductive
approach with Mixed research method was applied (Mohamed, 2011; Saunders et al., 2012).

3.4 Sources and Types of Data

3.4.1 Source of Data
Data was gathered from both primary and secondary sources. According to Hollensen (2007)
primary data can be defined as “information that is collected first-hand, generated by original
research tailor-made to answer specific current research questions”. And secondary data can be
defined as “information that has already been collected for other purposes and thus is readily
available”.

3.4.2 Type of Data

There are several methods of collecting primary data, particularly in surveys and descriptive
researches. Important ones are: observation, interview, questionnaires, depth interviews, and
content analysis (Kothari, 2004). Secondary data include both quantitative and qualitative data.
Secondary data are usually collecting from journals, existing reports, books, and statistics by
government agencies and authorities (Saunders, et al., 2009).

37
This study was conducted by collecting data from primary and secondary data sources. This is
because of ease of interpretation of data and the need to address specific research issues in this
case the project management practices.

The primary data collection tools for this study are questionnaire and interview. The
predetermined questions are filled to employees involved in project work includes the technical
experts, support staff and top level executives. The questionnaire used for data collection
because, it offers considerable advantages in the administration: it presents an even stimulus
potentially to large numbers of people simultaneously and provides the investigation with an
easy accumulation of data. The questionnaire developed was given to the respondents fill and
pick from their respective offices.

The secondary data for this particular study was collected from company broacher. The
secondary data helped the student researcher as specific reference and explore different
construct, models and theories important to this study.

3.5 Target Population, Sampling Techniques and sample size

3.5.1 Target Population
Population is described as a group of elements or cases, whether individuals, objects, or events,
that conform to specific criteria and to which we intend to generalize the result of the research
Hair et al. (2010), This research is a case study of Hawassa city Water and Sewerage Service
Enterprise and the target population stated directly involved and affected by the project work.

According to Parker (2011) in a case study every participant has an opportunity to participate
which reduces the concern on accuracy. Therefore, from the data obtained from internal
documents the study will be used employees involved in project work includes the technical
experts, support staff and top level executives. In general the population of the study will be all
Project Managers (2 in number) and project coordinator (3 in numbers), project member or
officer (13 in numbers) and support staff (27 in numbers); total of forty five (45) members were
selected.

38
3.5.2 Sampling Techniques and sample size
For this study, purposive sampling is used to pick the sample from Purposive sampling is a
widely used sampling method which allows a researcher to get information from a sample of the
population that one thinks knows most about the subject matter. In this type of sampling, the
choice of the sample items depends exclusively on the judgment of the investigator. Purposive
sampling techniques include hand picking of the subject cases that the researcher thinks that
possesses rich information to accomplish the researchers’ objective (Lewis & Sheepard 2006).
Hence the respondents that are included in this research are; Project managers, project
coordinator, and project officer and support staff who are directly involved in project work.
Totally 45 sample of respondents were selected.

3.6 Methods of Data collection

A pilot test was conducted to confirm the validity of the assessment method. Some clarification
sentences were included in the survey questionnaire based on the pilot test findings.

Generally, there are various procedures of collecting data. Case study is one of primary data
collection system. As stated by Bhatta cherjee, (2012) case study involving the use of
standardized questionnaires or interviews to collect data about people and their preferences,
thoughts, and behaviors in a systematic manner.

The main instruments used consist of closed ended questionnaires, open ended and interviews.
These different ways of gathering information can supplement each other and hence boost the
validity and dependability of the data. In this study, the quantitative data was obtained through
closed ended questionnaires and the qualitative data through interviews. The items of the
questionnaire were mainly developing based on the research objectives and research questions.
The primary data will collect through questionnaire and interview.

3.6.1 Questionnaire
A questionnaire was designed based on PMBOK knowledge areas challenges and benefits. The
questionnaires will be prepared and distributed to target population which is mentioned
previously. Thus, the questionnaire contains 70 questions in 4 categories. The first section was
related to respondent information. The second section dealt with General PM Aspect. The third

39
section dealt with Project Management Knowledge Areas, The fourth section is about the Project
challenge.

3.6.2. Interview
It is important to interview right people who have rich knowledge about the study phenomenon;
otherwise there is a risk that the interviews will not fulfill the purpose of the study. The choice of
respondents for this thesis was selected from the people who are involves in managing and
implementing of project. Being part of the implementation process would be able to give details
of the information which would be relevant for this study. The selection of the respondents in
this research will made based on their roles, expertise, and experience involved in project
implementation process in order to achieve the purpose of the study.

3.7 Methods of Data Analysis

The analysis of data is the process where one is trying to gather and present the data in such way
so it has a good structure and becomes easy to understand (Artit, 2012). In addition, data analysis
is a process of bringing order, structure and meaning to the mass of collected data. The goal with
the analysis is to be able to come up with valid conclusions based on the empirical data.

The analysis was anchored to the statement of the problem, research objective and research
questions. Thus, the quantitative and qualitative data was collected, coded, analyzed, interpreted
and presented. The data from the closed ended questions was coded and entered to SPSS version
27 (an updated version) for analysis and summarize the data descriptively using tables,
percentages and frequency. While the open ended questions of the questionnaire and interview
was categorize by the researcher’s hand in a generalize format.

Finally, all the aggregated data were further discussing and then findings were presented to the
reader in a readable format. After which conclusion was made and recommendations were
delivered.

The study sought to assess the practices of project management knowledge Areas in the project
offices. The responses were placed on the five Likert scale where 1 = strongly disagree
2=disagree 3=neutral 4=agree 5 =strongly agree. One statistical approach for determining
equivalence between groups is to use simple analyses of means and standard deviations for the
variables of interest for each group in the study (Marczyk et al., 2005). The mean indicates to
40
what extent the sample group averagely agrees or does not agree with the different statement.
The lower the mean, the more the respondents disagree with the statement. The higher the mean,
the more the respondents agree with the statement. On the other hand, standard deviation shows
the variability of an observed response from a single sample. The mean values are present in
table below. Mean values have interpret by adopting the criteria suggested by Mugenda (2003),
Amin (2005) and Kelali (2018).

Table 3.1 Interpretation of Mean range on the Likert Scale

Response Scale Interpretation

Strongly disagree 1 Very Low
Disagree 2 Low
Not sure 3 Moderate
Agree 4 High
Strongly agree 5 Very High
Source: Adapted from Mugenda (2003), Amin (2005), Kelali (2018) and Firehiwoit (2019).

3.8 Reliability and Validity Test

3.8.1 Reliability Test
As stated by Firehiwoit (2019) one of the main requirements of any research process is the
reliability of the data and findings. In the main, reliability deals with the consistency,
dependability and reliability of “the results obtained from a piece of research”. Obtaining similar
results in quantitative research is rather straightforward because our data are in numerical form.
However, in qualitative approaches to research achieving the identical results are fairly
demanding and difficult. It is because the data are in narrative form and subjective. To this end,
Lincoln & Guba (1985) point out that instead of obtaining the same results, it is better to think
about the dependability and consistency of the data. In this case, the purpose is not to attain the
same results rather to agree that based on the data collection processes the findings and results
are consistent and dependable.

Merriam (1998) believes that “the human instrument can become more reliable through training
and practice.” In general, Lincoln and Guba (1985) and Merriam (1998) suggest that the

41
dependability of the results can be ensured through the use of three techniques: the investigators
position, triangulation and audit trial.

To make operational, the researcher was defined the variables into measurable factors, by using
both qualitative and quantitative data. Pilot test was done, if the questioners are administering in
a real environment by respondents. For the purpose of this, 3 respondents were asked to
complete the questionnaire to identify the problem with the questions clarity.

The reliability of scale shows how free the data is from random error. Therefore, it is always
advisable to select that scale that is reliable. One of the most commonly used scales of reliability
is internal consistency. Internal consistency refers to “the degree to which the items that make up
the scales are all measuring the same underlying attributes (i.e. the extent to which the items
“hang together”) (Pallant, 2005). There are number of ways in which internal consistency can be
measured, the most commonly used statistics is Cronbach’s coefficient Cronbach’s alpha is a test
reliability technique that requires only a single test administration to provide a unique estimate of
the reliability for a given test (Joseph A. g. and Rosemary R. G. 2003). According to the author,
Cronbach’s alpha is the average value of the reliability coefficients one would obtain for all
possible combinations of items when split into two half-tests.

Cronbach’s alphas were calculated to examine the reliability of each variable of the study.
According to Joseph A. g. and Rosemary R. G. (2003), Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient
normally ranges between 0 and 1. However, there is actually no lower limit to the coefficient.
The closer Cronbach’s alpha coefficient is to 1.0 the greater the internal consistency of the items
in the scale. More (Malery, 2003) provide rules of thumb. According to their rules; reliability
coefficients should be at least ‘0.70’ and the higher the better. Furthermore, as suggested by the
author, if scale item were to exhibit an item to total correlation of < 0.5 – unacceptable or less the
item should not be included in further analysis. Reliability coefficient for items in each variable
(Cronbach’s alpha) is greater than 0.70 which showed higher reliability of the items used in
measurement of the variables. The Cronbach’s alpha value for all items suggested that the data
collected through questionnaires is reliable and can be used for further statistical analysis.
Therefore, the score supports the presence of good internal consistency among the items and
promised the reliability and acceptability of the study items.

42
 Table 3.8 Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Cronbach's Alpha Based on No. of Items

Alpha Standardized Items
.926 .932 51
Source: Own Survey Computation, 2024

3.8.2 Validity
According to Creswell (2014) validity is one of the strengths of qualitative research and is based
on determining whether the findings are accurate from the standpoint of the researcher, the
participant, or the readers of an account. Terms abound in the qualitative literatures that address
validity, such as trustworthiness, authenticity, and credibility.

Validity is concerned with whether our research is believable and true and whether it is
evaluating what it is supposed to evaluate. In this regard, Burns (1999) stresses that “validity is
an essential criterion for evaluating the quality and acceptability of research.” Generally,
researchers were used different instruments to collect data. Therefore, the quality of these
instruments is very critical because “the conclusions researchers draw based on the information
they obtain using these instruments” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2003). Thus, it is imperative that the
data and the instruments to be validated.

Content validity is related to a type of validity in which different elements, skills and behaviors
are adequately and effectively measured. To this end, the research instruments and the data may
be review by the experts in the field of research. Based on the reviewer’s comments the unclear
and obscure questions can be revised and the complex items reworded. Also, the ineffective and
nonfunctioning questions can be discarded altogether.

Therefore, for the purpose of this research the researcher used different data collection
techniques. In addition, the questionnaire and interview questions were derived from the
literature review, and approve by advisors to confirm validity.

43
3.9 Ethical Consideration
As stated by Creswell (2014) in addition to conceptualizing the writing process for a proposal,
researchers need to anticipate the ethical issues that may arise during their studies.

Writing about these anticipated ethical issues is required in making an argument for a study as
well as being an important topic in the format for proposals. Researchers need to protect their
research participants; develop a trust with them; promote the integrity of research; guard against
misconduct and impropriety that might reflect on their organizations or institutions; and cope
with new, challenging problems (Mark & Iain, 2006). Ethical questions are apparent today in
such issues as personal disclosure, authenticity, and credibility of the research report; the role of
researchers in cross-cultural contexts; and issues of personal privacy through forms of internet
data collection (Mark & Iain, 2006).

In this study, the researcher explained to the respondents the aim of the research and area in the
introductory part of the questionnaire and interview. Furthermore, the researcher tried to avoid
misleading statements in the questionnaire and interview. Lastly, the questionnaires and the
interview were conducted only with voluntary respondents and inform the respondents not to
mention their name on the questionnaire. In addition, all information and data from the company
were disclosed to public.

44
 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the data analysis, discussion and interpretation of the research findings.
The data analysis was made with the help of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)
version 27. The first part of the chapter discussed about the distributed and returned
questionnaires. The second part is about the demographic profile of the study sample, responses
received about project management practices for each knowledge areas of project management
has been described using descriptive statistics and Project management knowledge areas
practices in this study achieved a low level and n this chapter we will get detail responses.

4.1 Demographic Information

The study sought to ascertain the background information of the respondents involved in the
study. The background information points at the respondents’ suitability in answering the
questions.

4.1.1 Respondents Gender and Age

The respondents were requested to indicate their gender and age. The findings are presented.

Table 4.1.1 Respondents Gender and Age

Sex of respondent * Age of respondent Cross tabulation

age of respondent Total
Below 30 31-40 41-50 above 50
sex of Female Count 1 3 2 1 7
respondent % 2.2% 6.8% 4.4% 2.2% 15.6%
Male Count 12 5 11 10 38
% 26.7% 11.1% 24.4% 22.2% 84.4%
Total Count 13 8 13 11 45
% 28.9% 17.9% 28.8% 24.4% 100%
Source: Own Computation Survey, 2024

The table 4.1.1 above shows that a higher percentage of male participants (84.4%) than female
participants (15.6%). Female assertiveness has given the significant changes that have taken

45
place in the last 25 years in terms of increasing female participation rates in the workforce and
rethinking what constitutes male and female roles, one should operate on the assumption that
there is no significant difference in job productivity between men and women (Firehiwoit, 2019).
Hence, the organization should have to considered gender equality policy and increase the
number of female employees. With regard to respondents age 13(28.9%) were below 30 years,
8(17.9%) aged between 31-40 years, 13(28.8%) were aged between 41-50 years, while 11(24.4
%) were aged above 50 years.

4.1.2 Respondent’s level of education, year of experience and occupational status

The respondents were requested to indicate their level of education, year of experience and
occupational status. The findings are as presented in Table 4.1.2 below

Table 4.1.2 level of education, year of experience and occupational status of respondents

Position of respondent Total

Project Project Project Support
manager coordinator member staff
Level of Diploma N 1 0 6 9 16
education % 2.2% 0% 13.3 20.0 35.6%
BA/BSC N 1 1 8 10 20
% 2.2% 2.2% 17.8% 22.2% 44.4%
MA/MSC N 3 2 2 2 9
% 6.7% 4.4% 4.4% 4.4% 20%
Total N 5 3 16 21 45
% 11.1% 6.7% 35.6 46.6% 100%
year of less than N 0 2 4 11 17
experience 5yr % 0% 2.2% 8.9% 24.4% 37.7%
between N 2 1 0 5 8
5-10 % 4.4% 2.2% 0% 11.1% 17.8%
between N 1 0 0 7 8
11-15 % 2.2% 0% 0% 15.6% 17.8%
above 15 N 1 0 4 7 12

46
 yrs. % 2.2% 0% 8.9% 15.6% 26.7%
Total N 4 3 8 30 45
% 8.9% 6.7% 17.8% 66.6% 100%
Source: Own Survey Computation, 2024

From the findings, majority of the respondents 20(44.4%) had BSC/BA, 16(35.6%) of the
respondents had Diploma and 9(20%) had MS.c/MA. According to Tracy and David (2011);
cited by Firehiwoit (2019) Employee cannot find a job and perform well without adequate
education back ground. Besides that, Daniel (2009) also found that various levels and types of
education will contribute to the organization performance.

The educational background of the respondents, which is analyzed qualitatively, various fields of
studies were identified i.e. Leadership and good governance, Foreign language and literature,
Economics, Management, Engineering, accounting, Information Technology etc. there is no
single respondent with project management specialization. Project Management (PM) is a
discipline that has been identified by many authors as having the potential to effectively
delivering organizational changes (PMI, 2013). This change comes through effective
management of projects which aligns to organizational strategic objectives. For this reason
project managers must have PM knowledge and skills. From the table above findings, majority
of the respondents 30(66.6%) were support stuff had, 8(17.8 %) were project member, 4(8.9%)
were project coordinator and the remaining 3(6.7 %) were project manager.

Acquire project team which are specialized in project management and related skill is the process
of confirming human resource availability and obtaining the team necessary to complete project
activities. The key benefit of this process consists of outline. The project management team may
or may not have direct control over team member selection because of collective bargaining
agreements, use of sub-contractor personnel, matrix project environment, internal or external
reporting relationships, or other various reasoning and guiding the team selection and
responsibility assignment to obtain a successful team (PMI, 2013). But as of Antoniadis (2012)
Selecting project team members and the career development of Project Managers (PMs) and
project personnel have an important influence in the current collaborative environment. Also, as
highlighted by Walker (1996) effective team selection and formation with their academic
specialization is a critical determinate for the achievement of project objectives.

47
With regard to year of experience majority of the respondents (37.7%) had a working experience
of less than 5 years, 26.7% had a working experience of 15 years and above, and 17.8% had a
working experience of between 5 - 10 years, similarly, 17.8 % had a working experience of
between 11-15 years. Therefore the majority of the respondents have been well experienced in
the field of project management and their extensive experience increase the reliability of the
information given.

4.2 Training Access

As shown in the below table 4.2, the respondents were asked to describe how many times they
participated on formal type of short term trainings. Accordingly, 2(4.4%), of the respondents got
only One chance to be trained, 4(8.9%), got a training quarterly 15(33.3%), got training
semiannually and 7(15.6%), respondents participate on trainings yearly and majority of them
17(37.8%) said there is no training.

While the interview was conducted, Human resource manager explain about the frequency of
training that is given to project team members. He explains like this: ‘every employee took
training at the beginning and at the middle of project cycle weather the employees were skilled
or not. But the problem that we faced were after they took training and work 3-4 months many of
them left the project, employee turnover was very high. And to hire another employee it took
much time, the project’s schedule was affected and we needed extra budget to train the new
employees and for the extension of schedule’. While conducting the interviews with project team
members with regard to training the response that they gave for the researcher summarized like
this: ‘sometimes there is a training that was funded by world Bank and most of the time it is in
India and Japan but there is no clear selection criteria plus to that employees whose job were not
directly related to the training would be selected and this is disappointing’. This statement is
valid with quantitative data.

Cole (2002) training can achieve high morale, lower cost of production, lower turnover, change
management, Provide recognition and give a feeling of personal satisfaction and achievement,
hence, the studied organization needs at least one formal short term training and more
refreshments yearly.

48
Training and employee productivity correlates positively (Ahmed & Yohanna, 2014). Ng‟ang‟a,
Weru, Travo and Sakwa (2013) also found the positive correlation between training and
employee productivity. Falola, Osibanjo and Ojo (2014) on their paper done on banking industry
have found the strong relationship between training and development, employees‟ performance
and competitive advantage. The investment in training that a company makes also signifies how
the employees are valued by their organization. Hence the studied organization should give
attention for training.

Table 4.2 Training accesses

Frequency of training Frequency Percent Valid percent

Valid Monthly 2 4.4 4.4
Quarterly 4 8.9 8.9
Semi-annually 15 33.3 33.3
Yearly 7 15.6 15.6
No training at all 17 37.8 37.8
Total 45 100.0
Source: Own Survey Computation, 2024

4.3 Analysis on Project Management Knowledge Areas

4.3.1 Project Scope Management

In order to find out the practice of project scope management the respondent were asked to give
their assessment values for organizational trends based on the Likert scale that was mentioned
below.

According to PMI (2013), Scope management is a process to ensure that the project includes all
the work required, and excludes the work that is not required, to complete the project
successfully. It consists of five major processes; scope planning, scope definition, create WBS,
scope verification, and scope control. The importance of a well formulated scope of work has
been shown several times in many projects. A clear project scope facilitates for the project
organization to realize the actual magnitude of the work and creates an understanding for the
achievements that are required in the project.

49
Based on the table 4.2 shown below 10(22.3%) respondents agreed that plan scope management
was well defined on the project and 15(33.3%) respondents were uncertain whether plan scope
management was defined or not. Whereas the remaining 20(44.4%) respondents disagreed that
the plan scope management was clearly defined, with moderate mean level value of 2.78 and
standard deviation of 0.791. This implies that plan scope management was at low level for the
project. The same table shows the responses of the respondents to inquiries if requirements were
defined and out of the 45 respondents, 9(20.0%) agreed that the requirements were defined and
11(24.4%) were not sure if requirements were defined, however the majority of the respondents
25(55.6%) disagreed that the requirements were defined, with mean and standard deviation value
of response rate of 2.10 and 0.776 respectively. This shows the project requirements were at low
level.

The other question put forward to the respondents was if WBS was created and 4(8.9%)
respondents agreed that it was created, 19(42.2%) put were not sure if it was created 22(48.9%)
respondents agreed that WBS was created having lower mean value of 2.51 and standard
deviation of 0.553. Based on this result, a conclusion reached that WBS was still at low level
defined but WBS is a vital task on PM practices so that the organization should have to focus on
it. It is not created as good as it was supposed to be.

Respondents were asked if scope was verified as it is shown table 4.3.1, 8(17.7%) agreed that it
was verified, 16(35.6%) were uncertain about it, 21(46.7%) disagreed that scope was verified
with mean value of 2.59 and it is based on the range that was mentioned above have a low level
mean value with standard deviation of 0.670. In response to the question that was intended to
know if changes to the project scope were controlled, only 11(24.4%) of respondents agreed and
11(24.4%) were uncertain, whereas 23(51.2%) disagreed with mean value of 2.70 and standard
deviation of 0.8137. Therefore, it can be analyzed based on the response of the majority that
changes to the project scope were low and poorly controlled.

The overall scope management practice mean is found to be 2.61 the assessment indicates that
the scope management practice is found to be at low level. The results also indicate that there is a
poor practice of this specific knowledge area. The information obtained from interview and
document review also indicates that project scope planning, scope definition, create WBS, scope
verification, and scope control was prepared However, formal procedure might not be followed

50
as a standard for the project management. The response from the interview further explained that
the importance of project scope management is not recognized in the office and lack in providing
project management training for employees participating in the project activities. The
information obtained from the interview also revealed that project offices were not equipped
with the necessary equipment, infrastructure & tools. As a result, the project office couldn’t do
their tasks properly.

As indicated by PMI (2013), awareness on the need and importance of PSM by stakeholders
particularly; the organization leader and PM team is very crucial since they are the decision
makers on project time and cost. However, the respondents did not feel the situation. Moreover,
formal effort of managing project scope such as; defining scope, plan scope management, and
preparing WBS is crucial to a project’s success since it is the prerequisites of the next project
processes such as cost estimation and determining the duration of each activity and finally,
developing schedule. To do this computer applications or tools are very assisting technologies in
scope management.

The finding that was stated by Tigist (2017) and Firehiwoit (2019), said that the practices of
tasks that were mentioned under project scope managements was poorly exercised. But the
author does not mention the range and also does not shows how the practice was poor and with
which criteria it was measured.

Table 4.3.1 Project Scope Management

Assessment Level of Frequency Percent Mean Std. Deviation

criteria measurement
Scope S. Disagree - - 2.78 .791
management D. Agree 20 44.4
plan was defined Neutral 15 33.3
Agree 10 22.3
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Requirements S. Disagree - - 2.10 .776
were D. Agree 25 55.6

51
clearly defined Neutral 11 24.4
Agree 9 20.0
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Work breakdown S. Disagree - - 2.51 .553
structure is a key D. Agree 22 48.9
Neutral 19 42.2
Agree 4 8.9
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Scope was verified S. Disagree - - 2.59 .670
D. Agree 21 46.7
Neutral 16 35.6
Agree 8 17.7
S. Agree - -
Total 45 45
Change to the S. Disagree - - 2.70 .81375
project D. Agree 23 51.2
was controlled Neutral 11 24.4
Agree 11 24.4
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Average 2.61
Source: Own Survey Computation, 2024

4.3.2 Project Integration Management

In order to find out the practice of project integration management the respondent were asked to
give their assessment values for organizational trends based on the Likert scale that was
mentioned above.

52
Project integration management is the processes that are used to coordinate the various elements
of the project. Prioritizing between competing objectives and alternatives are an important task in
the integration management. It consists of developing a project charter, develops preliminary
project scope statement, develops project management plan, directs and manage project
execution, monitor, and control project work, integrated change control, and close project.

Based on the table shown below, 5(11.1%) of respondents agreed that project plan was
developed and 12(26.7%) respondents were uncertain whether project plan was developed or not.
Whereas the remaining 28(62.2%) respondents disagreed that the project plan was clearly
developed. with low mean level value of 2.12 and standard deviation of 0.71055. This implies
that plan scope management was badly defined for the project. The same table shows the
responses of the respondents to inquiries if project work was managed; out of the 45 respondents,
11(24.4%) agreed that the project work was managed and 8(17.8%) were not sure about how
project work was managed. however the majority of the respondents 26(57.8%) disagreed that
project work was managed, with mean and standard deviation value of response rate of 2.32 and
0.86673 respectively. This shows the project work managements were at low level.

Also, 24(53.4%), 10(22.2%), 11(24.4%) respondents were respectively disagree, neutral and
agree with the mean value of 2.05 and standard deviation of 0.87861, for the question forwarded
about project work was monitored. For the last question of this section 26(57.8%) disagreed,
9(20.0%) neutral and 10(22.2%) respondent agreed with the mean and standard deviation value
of 2.02 and 0.82934 respectively.

The overall integration management practice mean is found to be 2.13 the assessment shows that
the integration management practice mean is found to be at low level. This statement has been
supported by the interview conducted with the project coordinator, who elaborated by stating the
project office focuses on practicing individual activities rather than integrating them together.
The project coordinator said that the project delay and some unattained goals may not have
happened if project integration was properly practiced in the project.

Next to risk management (Voropajev, 2009) finding ranks integration management as the second
most important knowledge area in managing projects in transition economies (developing
countries).

53
However previous research conducted by Yimam (2011) find out that rating by the practitioners
as in Ethiopia placed integration management 6th in the ranking of the 10 knowledge areas. The
low level of the integration practice maturity and the low value given by the practitioners could
be due to the lower importance given by contractors to it as managing integration is mainly the
duty and interest of the client (owner).

Table 4.3.2 Project Integration Management

Assessment Level of Frequency Percent Mean Std. Deviation

criteria measurement
project plan was S. Disagree - - 2.12 .71055
developed D. Agree 28 62.2
Neutral 12 26.7
Agree 5 11.1
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
project work S. Disagree - - 2.32 .86673
was managed D. Agree 26 57.8
Neutral 8 17.8
Agree 11 24.4
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
project work S. Disagree - - 2.05 .87861
was monitored D. Agree 24 53.4
Neutral 10 22.2
Agree 11 24.4
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
there was S. Disagree - - 2.02 .82934
effective D. Agree 26 57.8
coordination of Neutral 9 20.0

54
project Agree 10 22.2
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Average 2.13
Source: Own Survey Computation. 2024

4.3.3 Project Time Management

In order to find out the practice of project integration management the respondent were asked to
give their assessment values for organizational trends based on the Likert scale that was
mentioned above.

The time schedule is one of the most important plans in a project. The development of time
schedules should be based on the previously developed WBS. The level of work in planning,
monitoring and controlling schedules in a project is often directly reflected in the execution and
outcome of the project.

Based on the table shown below 2(4.4%) of respondents agreed that time management plan was
developed and 7(15.6%) respondents were uncertain whether time management plan was
developed or not. Whereas the remaining 22(48.9%) and 14(31.1%) respondents respectively
disagreed and strongly disagreed that the project time management plan was clearly developed.
with lower mean level value of 2.51 and standard deviation of 0.55326. This implies that time
management plan was not properly addressed for the project.

The respondents to inquiries if project work activities were defined, out of the 45 respondents,
8(17.8%) agreed that the project work activities were defined and 10(22.2%) were not sure about
how activities were defined. The majority of the respondents 27(60%) disagreed that project
work was managed, with mean and standard deviation value of response rate of 2.54 and 0.74490
respectively. This shows the project office time management experience were at lower level.

The response of the respondent which shows activities were sequenced, out of 45 respondents
2(4.5%) agreed that the project activities were sequenced, 19(42.2%) were not sure about how
activities were sequenced and 24(53.3%) disagreed the project activities were sequenced. The
mean value of this task is 2.46 with standard deviation value of 0.59572. The response of
respondents about duration of activities estimation was that 7(15.5%) of them agreed whereas
55
16(35.6%) of them neutral about it and the remaining 22(48.9%) were disagreed that duration of
activities were estimated. The mean and standard deviation value that was given by the
respondent about this task is 2.54 and 0.63630 respectively. The response of respondents the
question with regard to change to schedule was that 7(15.5%) of them agreed whereas 16(35.6%)
of them neutral about it and the remaining 22(48.9%) were disagreed about how change to
schedule addressed. The mean and standard deviation value that was given by the respondent
about this task is 2.54 and 0.63630 respectively.

The overall time management practice of the studied HCWSSE is found to be 2.52 which imply
that it is in a low level of mean value. The mean of each factors and the average mean of the
factors under project time management has been indicated, it can be understandable that time/
schedule plan was developed and activities were somehow defined. Since the defined activities
were somehow sequenced, the duration of the activities was a little bit estimated and changes to
the project schedule were in a control trial as they should have been, majority of the respondents
were disagree that project time management was done carefully.

The project documents that were reviewed also confirmed that a schedule delay was seen in the
project. This same statement is also supported by the interview result that was held with the
project coordinator and two project managers, during the interview it has been elaborated that the
project has been delayed for seventeen months, more than two years and so on. They also have
confirmed that, if there was a careful and systematic time management throughout the project,
the delay of schedule on the projects might not have occurred.

Other studies done in project time management have also found similar findings. According to
Karisson (2011), project organizations have a high ambition in schedule control. The
computerized aid, MS-Project, has potential to control and manage time schedules in many
aspects. Many members of the project teams do not have the required level of computer skills to
fully use the potential of the software and the higher management’s ambition is therefore not
met. Schedule control is carried out in minor scale, but there is a potential for improvement by
reaching a higher level of computer skill throughout the organization. The schedule control is
important and according to Antvik & Sjöholm (2007) the project team has little use of a schedule
that is not effectively controlled.

56
Table 4.3.3 Project Time Management

Assessment Level of Frequency Percent Mean Std. Deviation

criteria measurement
time management S. Disagree 14 31.1 2.51 .55326
plan was D. Agree 22 48.9
developed Neutral 7 15.6
Agree 2 4.4
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Activities were S. Disagree - - 2.54 .74490
defined D. Agree 27 60.0
Neutral 10 22.2
Agree 8 17.8
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Activities were S. Disagree - - 2.46 .59572
sequenced D. Agree 24 53.3
Neutral 19 42.2
Agree 2 4.5
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Duration of S. Disagree - - 2.54 .63630
activities were D. Agree 22 48.9
estimated Neutral 16 35.6
Agree 7 15.5
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
change to schedule S. Disagree - - 2.54 .83630
D. Agree 22 48.9
Neutral 16 35.6

57
 Agree 7 15.5
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Average 2.52
Source: Own Survey Computation, 2024

4.3.4 Project cost Management

In order to find out the practice of project cost management the respondent were asked to give
their assessment values for organizational trends based on the Likert scale that was mentioned
above.

Project cost management includes the processes of cost estimating, cost budgeting and cost
control. The main objective of cost management is to complete the project within the approved
budget (PMI, 2004). The project budget is very important and influences all areas in both
planning and execution of a project. It is important to keep track of total costs as well as costs for
different work packages in a project.

Based on the table shown below 4(8.9%) respondents agreed that the quality of the necessary
resource were determined and 10(22.2%) respondents were uncertain whether quality of
resources determined or not. Whereas the remaining 34(68.9%) respondents disagreed that
quality of the necessary resource were determined with lower mean level value of 2.39 and
standard deviation of 0.63630. This implies that quality of the necessary resource determination
was merely defined for the project. The same table shows the responses of the respondents to
inquiries if cost plan were defined and out of the 45 respondents, 5(11.1%) agreed that the
requirements were defined and 8(17.8%) were not sure if requirements were defined, however
the majority of the respondents 32(71.1%) disagreed that the requirements were defined, with
mean and standard deviation value of response rate of 2. 44 and 1.0865 respectively.

This shows the project cost plan was at lower level and not defined cohesively. The other
question put forward to the respondents was if project cost was estimated and 3(6.7%)
respondents agreed that it was estimated, 5(11.1%) put were not sure if it was estimated
37(82.2%) respondents disagreed that project cost was estimated. this specific task has lower
mean value of 2.20 and standard deviation of 0.96208. based on the respondents answer. For the

58
question about required budget was determined 3(6.7%) agreed that it was determined,
10(22.2%) were not sure if it was determined or not 32(71.1%) disagreed that project budget was
determined. The mean and standard deviation value of each was 2.29 and 0.97530 respectively
which implies that based on the range the status of this question is lower. Another question given
to the respondent was about change to the project budget was controlled out of 45 respondents
1(2.2%) agreed, 10(22.2%) not sure about it and the majority 34(75.6%) disagreed. The mean
and standard deviation result of this question is 2.24 and 0.83301 respectively.

The majority of the respondents disagree that the factors of the cost plan management were not
properly practiced in the project office which has a lower average mean value of 2.31.This was
supported by the interview conducted with the project coordinator, stating that the project had a
wide coverage of areas which they came to understand during the project implementation
process and was difficult to control the budget changes. The organization and PM team are
highly expected in recognizing of the effort and importance of project cost management since the
main goal is to complete a project within an approved budget. However, in this case we had a
very hard ship with donors and board members due to different reasons that budget consumption
of us was not satisfactory. Our cost management system also affected by external factor like LC
process with banks, cost variation, disputes with contractors due to inflation even if inflation is
unforeseen condition on the eyes of the law, fluctuation of foreign currency rate and the like
were the main reason that hinder us for not completed projects within the given budget. Another
project team member also added that I had a very good experience in a bid committee and what
my experience has told me that acceptance of the lowest price bid does not provide value for
money in either the final cost of construction or operational costs.

Relations between the construction industry especially with private contractors and government
departments have also been typically characterized by conflict and distrust due to low bid price
and this also have contributed to poor project management performance (Eden, 2018).

on their findings stated that finding of the causes of variances, the reasoning behind the
corrective action chosen, and other types of lessons learned from cost control should be
documented so that they become part of the historical database for both this project and other
projects of the performing organization and this would be considered like an asset for future
projects.

59
Table 4.3.4 project cost Management

Assessment criteria Level of Frequency Percent Mean Std. Deviation

measurement
The quantity of S. Disagree - - 2.39 .63630
the necessary D. Agree 31 68.9
resource were Neutral 10 22.2
determined Agree 4 8.9
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Cost plan was S. Disagree - - 2.44 1.0865
well defined D. Agree 32 71.1
Neutral 8 17.8
Agree 5 11.1
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
project cost was S. Disagree - - 2.20 .97780
estimated D. Agree 37 82.2
Neutral 5 11.1
Agree 3 6.7
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
required budget S. Disagree - - 2.24 .97530
was determined D. Agree 32 71.1
Neutral 10 22.2
Agree 3 6.7
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
change to the S. Disagree - - 2.24 .83301
project budget D. Agree 34 75.6
was controlled Neutral 10 22.2

60
 Agree 1 2.2
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Average 2.31
Source: Own Survey Computation, 2024

4.3.5 Project Quality Management

Project quality management involves all processes and activities in the project organization to
determine quality policies and control that the performed work is of a satisfying quality. The
major processes in quality management are quality planning, quality assurance, and quality
control. The project team must identify which quality standards that is relevant to the project in
order to perform quality control. The identified standards should be considered the baseline in
the development of a quality plan. It is important that the quality plan not only consist of
required levels of quality in different activities but also methods to achieve the requested
quality).

Based on the table shown above 10(22.2%) respondents were disagree whether quality of the
project were identified or not. Whereas the remaining 12(26.7%) respondents neutral that quality
standard of the projects were identified. 18(40%) and 5(11.1%) agree and strongly agree with
this issue. The mean and standard deviation of this value is that 3.36 and 0.85896 respectively.
For the question that talked about review of project quality standard, the respondent answer was
24(53.3%) respondents agreed that the quality standard of the project were reviewed 7(15.6%)
respondents were uncertain whether quality of the project were reviewed or not. Whereas the
remaining 6(13.3%) respondents disagreed and the rest 8(17.8%) strongly agreed that quality
standard of the projects were reviewed. The mean and standard deviation value of this particular
question is that 3.75 and 0.87304 respectively.

For the question that talk about project performance evaluation, 6(13.3%), 10(22.2%),
24(53.4%), 5(11.1%) respondents disagreed, neutral, agree and strongly agree respectively that
there is a regular base of project performance evaluation. The mean and standard deviation of
this value is that 3.56 and 1.0012 respectively. For the last question with regard to quality,
2(4.4%) of respondents were disagreed that results were monitored to check if they comply with

61
the quality, 9(20%) were uncertain about it and the remaining 26(57.8%) and 8(17.8%) of them
agreed and strongly agree with mean value of 3.46 and 0.97118 of standard deviation value.

The average mean value of project quality management is 3.53 of moderate value. Which means
on average the organization performs quality management on a moderate or average base which
indicates that it is in a formal line. The interview conducted with the project coordinator, stated
that quality standards of the organization were measured more of with the consultants direction.
The Authority had its own standards for water work constructions due to that reason we believe
our quality of standard is in better position.

Table 4.3.5 project Quality Management

Assessment Level of Frequency Percent Mean Std. Deviation

criteria measurement
quality S. Disagree - - 3.36 .85896
standard of the
D. Agree 10 22.2
project were
identified Neutral 12 26.7
Agree 18 40
S. Agree 5 11.1
Total 45 100
S. Disagree - - 3.75 .87304
quality D. Agree 6 13.3
standard of the
project were Neutral 7 15.6
reviewed Agree 24 53.3
S. Agree 8 17.8
Total 45 100
project S. Disagree - - 3.56 1.00122
performance
D. Agree 6 13.3
was evaluated
on a regular Neutral 10 22.2
base
Agree 24 53.4
S. Agree 5 11.1
Total 45 100

62
 S. Disagree - - 3.46 .97118
results were D. Agree 2 4.4
monitored to
check if they Neutral 9 20.0
comply with Agree 26 57.8
the quality
S. Agree 8 17.8
Total 45 100

Average 3.53
Source: Own Survey Computation, 2024

4.3.6 Project Risk Management

According to PMI, (2013) Risk management include risk management planning, risk
identification, qualitative risk analysis, quantitative risk analysis, risk response planning and risk
monitoring and control). All projects have uncertainties that can either turn out to be an
opportunity or a risk. Uncertainties often occur in areas where the management has little
information of the current conditions. By effective management, many uncertainties can be
evolved into an opportunity rather than a risk.

The purpose of a risk analysis is to gain control of the uncertainties in the project. When risks are
identified it is therefore important that a strategy is developed in order to response to the risk. A
response strategy can be to eliminate the probability or impact of a risk, or to accept the risk and
calculate with a potential extra cost if the risk occurs.

The below table shows the responses of the respondents to inquiries if risk management plan was
developed out of the 45 respondents, 10(22.3%) agreed 15(33.3%) were not sure about it and
20(44.4%) disagreed with mean and standard deviation value of response rate of 2.46 and
0.82492 respectively which has average or moderate mean value based on previous researchers
those are mentioned in chapter three.

The other question that was forwarded to the respondents was if risk was identified and
registered, 9(20.0%) put were agreed 25(55.6%) respondents disagreed and 11(24.4%) neutral
with 2.51 mean value and 0.94868 standard deviation value of lower level.

63
For the next question estimation of risk implication on the project was 4(8.9%) agreed,
19(42.2%) were not sure about it 22(48.9%) disagreed with 2.63 mean value and 0.79863 of
standard deviation value. Which is average based on the previous studies. The 4th question that
was forwarded to the respondents were about risk response plan development 8(17.7%) agreed
about it, 16(35.6%) were not sure about risk response plan was developed and 21(46.7%)
disagreed. This specific question has lower mean value of 2.48 and standard deviation of
0.67535. the last question with regard to project risk management that was given to the
respondent is about monitoring and controlling of identified risks 11(24.4%) agreed about it,
11(24.4%) were not sure and the rest 23(51.2%) disagreed with moderate mean value of 2.70 and
standard deviation of 0.84392.

A risk analysis was not developed early in the project. The risk analysis is rough and the
identified risks are not classified regarding probability and consequence of the possible
outcomes. Each identified risk should be assigned with rough mitigation measures. The risk
analysis is not implemented in the project management and several of the early identified risks
have occurred, with a big impact on the project, since the proposed mitigation measures never
were executed.

Kululanga & Kuotcha (2010) clearly states that an effective risk management must be based on
iterative risk analysis throughout the project. As a consequence of the neglected analysis, several
identified risks occurred and caused delays and increased costs in the project. The
underestimation of the project scope is likely to have influenced the risk management which
made the risk analysis less prioritized by the management team. The most severe risks are likely
to have been avoided if the risk analysis had been properly managed and iterated throughout the
project.

Other studies done in the country in the areas have also found similar findings. According to
(Karlesson, 2011), formal risk management is not instituted and rarely practiced. “In Ethiopian
risk analysis is preliminary and undeveloped practice... The use of easy to use risk management
tools and techniques is not generally known.”

This may indicate the low level of awareness about the importance of risk management in the
organization. The low level of risk management could be due to the inapplicability of current risk

64
management processes. Yimam (2011) stated that as the PM environment in developing
countries is highly uncertain and volatile that current practices which were developed in the
developed world may fail to serve when comes to the developing countries context. Moreover,
unavailability of data and the high unpredictability of events in developing countries may make
any risk management practice effort futile.

Table 4.3.6 Project Risk Management

Assessment Level of Frequency Percent Mean Std. Deviation

criteria measurement
S. Disagree - - 2.46 .82492
Risk were D. Agree 20 44.4
identified and
registered Neutral 15 33.3
Agree 10 22.3
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
risk were S. Disagree - - 2.51 .94868
identified and
D. Agree 25 55.6
registered
Neutral 11 24.4
Agree 9 20.0
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
risk implication S. Disagree - - 2.63 .79863
on the project
D. Agree 22 48.9
was estimated
Neutral 19 42.2
Agree 4 8.9
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
S. Disagree - - 2.49 .67535
risk response D. Agree 21 46.7
plan was
developed Neutral 16 35.6

65
 Agree 8 17.7
S. Agree - -
Total 45 45
the identified S. Disagree - - 2.49 .84392
risk were
D. Agree 23 51.2
monitored and
controlled Neutral 11 24.4
Agree 11 24.4
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Average 2.52
Source: Own Survey Computation, 2024

4.4 Project Management Challenges

The respondents were asked their opinion towards the challenges related to project management
process. The respondents reported that the project was highly affected by Scope creep which is
observed from the mean score of 2.24 and standard deviation of 0.791. Scope creep occurs when
project management allows the project's scope to extend beyond its original objectives. Scope
creep is one of the top five reasons why a project can fail (Doraiswamy & Shiv, 2012). It causes
increased cost, effort and time. The questionnaire result shows that the project was slightly
affected by lack of using project management software, lack of suitable project management
methodology and lack of project management practices. Project management methodology
should be properly chosen and strictly followed in order to accomplish the project as per the
specification, on time, to avoid failure, and also to reduce risks. The lack of processes, not
having an inflection to revisit the project status of every activity with the stakeholders, or the
lacks of open lines of communication to break down silos are challenges to put project
management in practice. HCWSSE had not used any project management software at all both in
managing and also in tracking of the projects.

66
Table 4.4 Project Management Challenges

Assessment criteria Level of Frequency Percent Mean Std. Deviation

measurement
There is no Scope S. Disagree - - 2.24 .791
creep
D. Agree 31 68.9
Neutral 10 22.2
Agree 4 8.9
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Using pm software S. Disagree - - 2.11 .776
D. Agree 32 71.1
Neutral 8 17.8
Agree 5 11.1
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Suitable project S. Disagree - - 2.62 .8633
management methods
D. Agree 37 82.2
available
Neutral 5 11.1
Agree 3 6.7
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
There is project S. Disagree - - 2.24 .7876
Management practice D. Agree 32 71.1
Neutral 10 22.2
Agree 3 6.7
S. Agree - -
Total 45 100
Average 2.30
Source: Own Survey Computation, 2024

67
4.5 Project Management Benefit

Information about project management benefit was obtained through interview. The interview
was conducted with the project coordinator and With regard to benefits of project managements
the analysis is based on the interview that was conducted with project coordinator and project
team member (a total of 6 employees were interviewed).

Below are the summarized responses that were given with regard to the interview questions that
were used in the research work. When questioned about benefits of Project Management, the
following findings were made: Approximately two-thirds reported noticeable benefits for Risk,
Time and Quality aspects of projects, 57% said improved Communications was a clearly
provided benefit, 50% believed that benefits for Integration activities were clearly provided, The
least benefit is provided for the control of costs, with 21% reporting it is difficult to compare the
benefit all are useful.

When respondents were asked to choose only 4 of the 10 Project Management Knowledge areas
for application to their projects, they chose: Communications Management (81%), Risk
Management (79%), Scope Management (71%), Time Management (67%), Interestingly, Cost
Management was the fifth most popular (43%).

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 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the summaries of the findings, conclusions derived from the analysis and
the recommendations that can help to improve the practice of Hawassa city Water and Sewerage
Services Enterprise. The next sub section presents summary of findings, concluding statements
and then recommendations.

5.2 Summary of the finding

The overall scope management practice mean is found to be 2.61 the assessment indicates that
the scope management practice is found to be at low level. The results also indicate that there is a
poor practice of this specific knowledge area. The overall integration management practice mean
is found to be 2.64. The assessment shows that the integration management practice mean is
found to be at a low level. This statement has been supported by the interview conducted with
the project coordinator, who elaborated by stating the project office focuses on practicing
individual activities rather than integrating them together.

The majority of the respondents disagree that the factors of the cost plan management were not
properly practiced in the project office which has a lower average mean value of 2.31. This was
supported by the interview conducted with the project coordinator, stating the project had a wide
coverage of areas which they came to understand during the project and was difficult to control
the budget changes.

The finding of the assessment indicated that the project procurement management is at lower
with the mean value of 2.25. In this level, several project management practices and processes
are available within the organization but they are not considered as organizational standards.

Except quality management practice which had an average mean value of 3.53 the rest, those are
mentioned below; project stakeholders, risk, communication, quality, human resource and time
has the low level average mean value. The response of respondents still indicate the studied
organization had a low mean value which implies that there is a gap of inadequacy between the
project management practices in Hawassa city water and Sewerage Authority and the 10 project

69
management knowledge areas. This is mainly due to the absence of clear framework for
implementation of projects.

Insufficient skills within the team, scope creep, Poor Communication between teams, lack of
using Project Management Software, delay in document approval , older Legacy systems issues,
Lack of Project Management Practices, Lack of suitable project management methodology, Too
much Project Status Reporting and meeting issues, Insufficient technical knowledge within team,
and Unclear change management process.

Generally, the above listed points affected the project management practices of Hawassa City
Water and Sewerage Authority project office performance with regard to project management
practice. But, the project was mainly affected by the five of the listed challenges. Those are the
delay in document approval, insufficient technical knowledge within team members, insufficient
team skills, and too much project status reporting issues.

5.2 Conclusion
From the findings above, it is possible to conclude that how an organization implements its
project is highly related with its challenges. Sowoden (2013) stated as maturity which is
organization’s ability to effectively use projects for different purposes in order to achieve its
business objectives (Jessen, 2003) increases and its processes and capabilities improve,
organizations are be able to reap more benefits of PPM. These implies that when an organization
increases its capability on the application of project management methodologies for selection,
evaluation, prioritization, management, reporting, closure and lesson learned to be in light with
the strategy of an organization, it will be able to reap the benefits of project management
practices. This can also be understood as when practice of project management of an
organization increases, capability to handle and prevents the different challenges of project
increases.

Capturing of lesson and best practice out of how an organization implements its project
management is very essential for processes and capabilities improvement. Integration
management was also found to be the cornerstone for different challenges. So that, organizations
who think of handling projects that has a common link to each other, should think of having a
PMO (centralized unit) that Project Management Institute (2011) stated as an organizing body or

70
agency assigned by multiple responsibilities associated to centralized and coordinated
management of projects where its responsibilities can range from providing support for the
management of projects to functions related to direct management of projects.

As discussed in detail in the literature part of this study, effective project management increases
the chance of successfully completing projects within time, cost and quality constraints. Project
management also helps to achieve other project constraints such as customer satisfaction, and
providing the business value of the project. Based on the results of this study and according to
the five-point scale, “Likert scale”, Project management knowledge areas practices in this study
achieved a low level. Thus, it is important to assess the project management practice periodically
and based on the assessment result to develop an action plan to improve project management
practice there by improve performance.

5.3 Recommendations
 As the major objective of the study is to assess the project management practices of
HCWSSE the following recommendations are forwarded based on the findings: Project
Identification should be in line with pre-drawn strategies to serve and support the
objectives of general policies. After identification, project formulation should be studied
carefully and feasibility studies should be conducted. Resources should be exploited in an
economic manner to create sustainable projects. Short & long term Operation and
Maintenance policies should be considered. Environmental impact assessment (EIA)
should be conducted. Project requirements should be clear and documented from the
beginning to ensure satisfaction of all related stakeholders. The project initiation process
needs improvements regarding project office set up. The project office environment
should include the necessary equipment, infrastructure& tools needed for the project
team.
 A project charter should be used as main practice as it clarifies the scope, objective, time,
budget, and output of the project. It should be adopted and followed by the appointed
project team. Defining scope of a project and managing the change that is always
expected in managing the projects contribute a lot to the success of the project.
 Change can occur to project scope, deliverables, timescales or resource. These changes
must be formally requested, evaluated & approved prior to implementation. Project

71
 manager must manage this change within the project. Project offices should give stronger
focus on quality assurance management, risk management, scope change management as
well as full attention to define clear, standard specifications. Risk management in a
project is another element of project success. Risk management should begin during
project planning to identify risks that can cause problems and to put “concrete actions”
for treatment and prevention. Some risks can never be totally eliminated and they may
change during a project, but ongoing well thought out risk assessment and risk mitigation
strategies together with risk contingencies in the project budget are required to avoid
unpleasant project surprises.
 HCWSSE needs to sensitize its employees to understand the need for project
management knowledge areas: project scope management, project integration
management, project time management, project cost management, project quality
management, project procurement management, project communication management,
project human resource management, project risk management, project stake holder
management.
 The visible need of project management training that exists in the project offices need to
be addressed to improve their project management knowledge & practice capacity. The
use of generic guides such as PMBOK in this regard may significantly help. Use of
computing & software programs can also help manage the project activities effectively as
well as increase monitoring and controlling quality processes. Recruiting professional
project managers may also be one way of proving the practice of project management.

5.3.1 Scope for further Research

The researcher recommends for further research to include other processes and practices of
project management as this study focused only on knowledge areas of project management. In
addition, since the practice of project management in Ethiopia is in its early ages, it is suggested
that a wider research can be conducted in detail by including various project based organizations
to compare their project management practice and contribute to its growth in Ethiopia.

72
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 APPENDIX
QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEW

NEW GLOBAL VISION COLLEGE

MASTERS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Dear Respected project managers and team members:

This interview is conducted to collect data for a research on: “Assessment on Project
Management Practices and its challenges: A study on Hawassa City Water and Sewerage
Services Enterprise.” The information is going to be used as a primary data for this research.
Therefore, your response and participation in the interview will be extremely valuable for the
study. Please note that confidentiality of your response is secured and used only for the purpose
of this study.

If you need to know the final results of the study, you may contact me via E- mail.

Kind Regards

Biruk Eshetu

Phone No: +251925632424

Email: [email protected]

Thank you in advance for your voluntary participation.

77
 NEW GLOBAL VISION COLLEGE

MASTERS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Dear Respected project managers and team members:

This questionnaire is conducted to collect data for a research on: Project Management Practices
and its challenges: a case study on Hawassa City Water and Sewerage Service Enterprise. The
information is going to be used as a primary data for this research. Therefore, your response and
participation in the interview will be extremely valuable for the study. Please note that
confidentiality of your response is secured and used only for the purpose of this study.

If you need to know the final results of the study, you may contact me via E- mail.

Kind Regards

Biruk Eshetu

Phone no: +251925632424

Email: [email protected]

Thank you in advance for your voluntary participations.

78
 General Instruction

 No need of writing your name;

 Put “X” mark or circle your choice;
 If you cannot get any satisfying choice among the given alternatives, you can write your
answer, in the space provided for the option;
 For the open ended items, give brief answer in the space provided.

Part I: Demographic characteristics of the respondents

1. Sex:

Male [] Female []

2. Age:

Below 30 [ ] 31-40 [ ] 41-50 [ ] above 50 [ ]

3. Educational Level

PHD [ ] MA/Msc [ ] BA/Bsc [ ] Diploma [ ]

If other, please specify_______________________________________________

4. Field of Specialization (The field you have studied) ___________________________

5. Position in the organization:

Project Coordinator [ ] Project manager [ ] Project Member [ ] Support Staff [ ]

6. Service period in the project work (in year) ________________________

Less than 5yr [ ] between 5-10 [ ] between 11-15 [ ] above 15 [ ]

Part II Questions related to the six Knowledge Areas of Project Management according to

PMBOK

79
Based on your experience in HCWSAPO, please feedback to what extent do you think the
following factors listed under each project management knowledge areas are important to the
effectiveness of the project.

(1= Strongly Disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Neutral, 4= Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree)

No I. Project Scope Management 1 2 3 4 5

1 Plan scope management was defined (As a
basis for future project decisions.)
2 Requirements were clearly defined from the
beginning
3 WBS was created (WBS (Work Breakdown
Structure is a key project deliverable that
organizes the team's work into manageable
sections)
4 Scope was verified (formalizing acceptance of
the project scope)
5 Changes to the project scope was controlled
II Project Integration Management
1 Project plan was developed by taking the
results of other planning processes and putting
them into consistent document.
2 Project work was managed
3 Project work was monitored and controlled
4 There was effective coordination of project
activities
5 Changes to the project schedule was
controlled
III Project Time Management
1 Time/schedule management plan was
developed

80
2 Activities were defined
3 Activities were sequenced
4 Duration of activities were estimated
5 Changes to the project schedule was
controlled
IV Project Cost Management
1 The quantity of the necessary resources were
2 Cost plan was well defined
3 The project cost was estimated
4 The required budget was determined
5 Changes to the project budget was controlled
V. Project Quality Management
1 Quality standards of the project were
identified
2 Quality standards of the project were
reviewed
3 Project performance were evaluated on
regular basis
4 Basis Results were monitored to check if they
comply with the quality standards identified
VI. Project Risk Management
1 Risk management plan was developed
2 Risks were identified and registered
3 Risks were prioritized and their implication
on the project was estimated
4 Risk response plan was developed
5 The identified risks were monitored and
controlled

81
If you have opinion for other factors, please describe:

 _____________________________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________________

Part II Questions related to application of project management challenges

Based on your experience in HCWSAPO, please feedback to what extent do you think the
following factors listed under challenges the project management practices.

(1= Strongly Disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Neutral, 4= Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree)

No Project management challenges 1 2 3 4 5

1 There is no Scope creep
2 Using project management methodologies
3 There is pm practice
4 Using pm soft wares
5 Insufficient pm skill within the team
6 Poor communication b/n team
7 Insufficient technical knowledge.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

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 Interview Questions

1. How the project requirements (scope), constraints and specific schedule dates identified and
communicated to all stakeholders?

2. How roles and responsibilities, communicated to all team and stakeholders?

If your answer for question number (2) is no, how did you manage it?

3. How much planned the project and its budget?

4. Did you notice early warning signs of problems that occurred in the project, and did you
Responded in time?

5. Did the final deliverables of the project satisfy the needs or requirements of all stakeholders?

83