Bridging the Capability Gap: Project Scope Definition Competencies and the Implementation Performance of Educational Infrastructure Projects in Kenya

Abstract

The execution of decentralized social asset initiatives in developing market economies remains heavily constrained by capacity gaps within non-technical governance boards. This study evaluated the structural relationships between project scope definition competencies and the implementation performance of educational infrastructure projects funded under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) in Kisumu County, Kenya. Utilizing a descriptive survey research design, data was retrieved from 106 institutional stakeholders, spanning school Boards of Management (BOM) and Project Management Committees (PMC). Inferential statistical models revealed a severe structural deficit: only 27.8% of the institutions utilized a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and 54.55% of the respondents characterized the entire front-end scope definition process as inadequate. Cross-tabulation linked poor scope baseline formulation directly with construction delays, field coordination failures, and critical budget overruns. Pearson Chi-square analysis explicitly rejected the null hypothesis (χ² = 12.514, df = 2, p = 0.002), while Spearman’s rank correlation established a significant linear path (ρ = 0.340, p = 0.0001) linking scoping precision to successful asset delivery. Conversely, complexity and behavioral governance perspectives were introduced to challenge linear planning rigidities. The study recommended mandatory technical capacity audits and standardized scope validation protocols prior to capital asset funding disbursement.