Abstract:
Project implementation is a critical phase of the project lifecycle that directly determines project success. Sustainable organizational performance relies on structured project management procedures rather than arbitrary methods, which frequently lead to unpredictable outcomes. This study assessed the influence of stakeholder
engagement on the implementation of street lighting projects in Turkana
County, Kenya. Anchored on Stakeholder Theory, the study adopted a
cross-sectional survey design. The target population consisted of 34
Chief Officers/M&E Experts, 6 Sub-county Quantity Surveyors, 6 Sub
county Electrical Engineers, 6 M&E Focal Persons, 6 Project
Implementation Committee Chairpersons, 6 Sub-county Financial
Directors, and 6 Sub-county Procurement Officers. Simple random
sampling was used to select 27 Chief Officers/M&E Experts, while a
census approach was adopted for all other categories. Data were
collected using questionnaires and document analysis checklists.
Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies, means, and standard
deviations, while hypotheses were tested via simple linear regression
using SPSS Version 25 and the Hayes PROCESS Macro v4.1. The
findings demonstrated a significant relationship between stakeholder
management and the implementation of street lighting projects (p <
0.05). Actively involving stakeholders in decision-making processes
improved the quality of project monitoring and evaluation (M&E)
reports, ultimately enhancing project execution. Furthermore, the
interaction term (X \times W) explained an additional 14.5% of the
variance in project implementation (Delta R^2 = 0.145), and the overall
model was statistically significant (p < 0.05). This indicates that the
independent and moderator variables jointly predict the dependent
variable. Notably, the results confirm that the moderator variable
(stakeholder engagement) significantly alters the relationship between
M&E capacity and the implementation of street lighting projects.
