Project Scope Management and Implementation Performance of Educational Infrastructure Stimulus Projects in Kenya: The Moderating Role of Human Capital

Abstract

This study examined the moderating influence of human capital on the relationship between project scope management and the implementation performance of Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) infrastructure initiatives in public secondary schools within Kisumu County, Kenya. Utilizing a descriptive survey design, primary data were collected from a target population of 189 institutional stakeholders across schools benefiting from ESP allocations, yielding a finalized analytical sample of 128 respondents selected via stratified random sampling. Reliability was verified using the test-retest method and evaluated via the Spearman-Brown Prophecy formula (Re > 0.70). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests of independence, and moderated multiple linear regression analysis. The empirical results revealed a strong overall model fit (R = 0.813, R2 = 0.661), indicating that 66.1% of the variance in infrastructure implementation status was driven by front-end project scope initialization metrics. Parameter estimates confirmed that formalized Project Charters (β = 0.394, p < 0.001) and inter-disciplinary Expert Judgment (β = 0.256, p = 0.006) exerted a statistically significant positive influence on delivery success. Crucially, individual Project Manager Competence failed to achieve direct statistical significance (β = 0.155, p = 0.065), demonstrating a condition of bounds-based moderation where individual capability depended entirely on structural institutional baselines. The study concluded that the Ministry of Education must transition from ad-hoc project selections toward mandatory, deliverable-oriented Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) and institutionalize technical scope management certification protocols for local oversight committees.