PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT PROCESSES AND PERFORMANCE OF DIGITAL HUB PROGRAMMES IN SELECTED COUNTIES IN KENYA

Abstract

Digital infrastructure projects play a critical role in enhancing digital access and supporting socio-economic development. However, many such projects, particularly government-led initiatives such as Digital Hub Programmes, continue to experience poor performance outcomes, including cost overruns, implementation delays, scope creep, underutilization, and failure to achieve intended objectives. These challenges are widely associated with weaknesses in project scope management processes. Despite the centrality of scope management to project success, there remains limited empirical evidence that systematically examines how its core components, scope definition and scope control, affect the performance of Digital Hub Programmes at the county level in Kenya. This study sought to assess the effectiveness of project scope management processes on the performance of Digital Hub Programmes in selected counties in Kenya, namely Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, Kisumu, and Kiambu. The study focused on key scope management variables: scope definition and scope control, and examines their relationship with programme performance measured in terms of time, cost, and quality. The study was anchored on Goal-Setting Theory and Control Theory, which collectively explain how clear objectives, structured task decomposition, and effective monitoring mechanisms contribute to improved project outcomes. An explanatory research design was adopted to establish the relationships between the study variables. The unit of analysis was Digital Hub Programmes implemented within the four selected counties, while the unit of observation comprised project-level personnel directly involved in programme implementation. A census approach was employed at the programme level, covering 42 Digital Hub Programmes, with three respondents per programme (project manager, M&E/ICT officer, and technical officer), resulting in a total of 126 respondents. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. A pilot study involving approximately 10% of the sample (13 respondents) was conducted in Nakuru County. Findings showed that; there is a strong significant correlation between scope definition and performance of Digital Hub Programmes (r = 0.573, p = 0.000), a strong significant correlation between scope control and performance of Digital Hub Programmes (r = 0.820, p = 0.000). The recommendations are; project managers  should institutionalize a strong and participatory scope definition process during the initiation of each Digital Hub Program, and develop and strictly implement a formal scope change control process.

Key Words: Project Scope Management Processes, Performance, Digital Hub Programmes, Scope Definition, Scope Control