PROJECT QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA
Keywords:
Project Quality Management Practices, Quality Control, Quality Planning, Performance, Affordable Housing ProjectsAbstract
Project quality management practices play a pivotal role in the successful execution and completion of construction projects. Despite the efforts to implement project quality management practices in building construction projects in Kenya, there remains a notable disparity between planned quality and actual outcomes. The general objective of the study was to determine the effect between project quality management practices and the performance of affordable housing projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to examine effect of quality planning and control and improvement on the performance of affordable housing projects in Nairobi City County. The study was guided by Juran trilogy theory and Crosby theory of quality management. The study used a descriptive survey. The unit of analysis was six affordable housing projects in Nairobi City County. The unit of observation was 6 project managers, 60 contractor representatives, and 54 project consultants. The study used a census hence the sample included 120 respondents. Questionnaires was used to collect data. A pilot was conducted with 10% of the sample hence 12 respondents took part in the pilot. The study used content and construct validity. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient. The study used SPSS version 28. Findings were presented in tables. The content of the questionnaire was approved by supervisor and project management professionals in the affordable housing sector. Construct validity results show that all variables had AVE above 0.5. Reliability shows that all variables scored Cronbach alpha values of above 0,7 an indication that they were all reliable. Among the variables, quality control had the strongest impact (β = 0.354, p = 0.001), followed by quality planning (β = 0.301, p = 0.002). These findings confirm that projects prioritizing structured planning, strict quality control, strategies achieve better performance in terms of budget adherence, timely completion, and compliance with quality standards. The study concludes that strengthening material supply chains, enhancing risk management in quality assurance, improving defect resolution in quality control, and technology adoption and promoting knowledge-sharing in quality improvement will significantly enhance the performance of affordable housing projects. It recommends the adoption of digital monitoring tools, stricter enforcement of compliance measures, and continuous learning programs to optimize project execution. Since 23.6% of project performance remains unexplained, further research should explore the influence of financial management practices, policy frameworks, and emerging technologies on affordable housing project success.
Key Words: Project Quality Management Practices, Quality Control, Quality Planning, Performance, Affordable Housing Projects
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