Progress Evaluation, Government Policies and Performance of Kenya National Highways Authority Road Construction Projects in North Rift Region, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t5458Abstract
Progress evaluation remains a critical determinant of infrastructure project performance; however, the strength of this relationship may depend on the regulatory environment in which monitoring practices operate. This study examined the relationship between progress evaluation and the performance of Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) road construction projects in the North Rift Region, Kenya, and assessed the moderating effect of government policies on this relationship. Using a correlational research design, the study conducted a census of 129 KeNHA technical and supervisory staff involved in monitoring and implementing road construction projects in the North Rift Region. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple and moderated linear regression in SPSS Version 29. The findings revealed that progress evaluation practices were perceived as moderately implemented but were weakly translated into corrective action, with an overall mean of 2.99 (SD = 1.320). Government policies recorded the highest mean among all constructs (mean = 3.80), reflecting a strong and consistently perceived regulatory influence. Correlation analysis established significant positive relationships between progress evaluation and project performance (r = 0.684, p < 0.01), government policies and project performance (r = 0.462, p < 0.01), and progress evaluation and government policies (r = 0.487, p < 0.01). Regression analysis further confirmed that progress evaluation had a statistically significant positive influence on project performance and that the interaction between progress evaluation and government policies was statistically significant, indicating that government policies moderated the relationship between progress evaluation and project performance. The study concludes that progress evaluation is positively linked to project performance and that this relationship is strengthened when progress evaluation is aligned with a supportive regulatory environment. The study recommends that KeNHA institutionalize structured milestone tracking and corrective action mechanisms and that regulatory agencies streamline approval processes to reinforce the benefits of progress evaluation rather than dilute them.
Keywords: Progress evaluation, government policies, project performance, moderating effect, road construction, North Rift Region
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