Project Planning as an Instrument for Performance of Universal Service Projects in Kenya

Universal Service Projects are a vital supporter of the availability and accessibility of ICT services in rural, remote, and local income areas of Kenya. Without these projects, millions of unconnected people who reside outside the profit boundary of commercial players will not reap the social and economic benefits brought about by advancements in the ICT sector. To ensure the success of projects, it is paramount for project managers to identify and put more emphasis on planning. Projects usually experience a number of challenges during the planning implementation period, including time and cost overruns, among others. The study objective was to examine the influence of project planning on the performance of universal service projects in selected areas of Kenya. The study was undertaken on the education broadband connectivity project and the voice infrastructure projects undertaken by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK). The study was anchored on the theory of change. The target population is 443 respondents, while the sample size is 209 respondents. The study made use of stratified random sampling, simple random sampling, and purposive sampling techniques to select respondents. The study used both the questionnaire and interview schedule. Quantitative data was analysed and presented in percentages, mean and standard deviation and frequencies, respectively, while qualitative data was analysed using common thematic areas. The study found that USF governance project planning activities had a positive influence on project success. The study concluded that USF project planning influences project success. The study recommended that the reporting structure adopted by the Universal Service fund should allow for timely action to be undertaken during planning phases.