Influence of Project Planning on Performance of Kigali City Clean Water Supply Expansion Project in Gasabo District, Rwanda

This study assessed the influence of project planning, operationalized as scope planning, time scheduling, and cost and budget planning, on the performance of the Kigali City Clean Water Supply Expansion Project in Gasabo District, Rwanda. A descriptive and correlational design with a quantitative approach was used, complemented by interviews and document analysis. The target population was 212 stakeholders (project managers, engineers, and planning, finance, procurement and supervisory staff). A sample of 139 was drawn using Yamane's formula through stratified random and purposive sampling, and 131 questionnaires (94.2%) were returned. Structured five-point Likert questionnaires were the main instrument, with Cronbach's alpha between .887 and .926. Data were analyzed in SPSS Version 27 using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression and ANOVA. Respondents agreed that scope planning (M = 4.17), time scheduling (M = 4.21), and cost and budget planning (M = 4.20) were well practised, and rated project performance highly (M = 4.27). All three dimensions significantly predicted performance: time scheduling (β = .432, p < .001), cost and budget planning (β = .351, p < .001), and scope planning (β = .283, p < .001). Together they explained 84.1% of the variance in performance (F = 222.401, p < .001), and all three null hypotheses were rejected. The study recommends that the Water and Sanitation Corporation Group, the Ministry of Infrastructure and partners institutionalize integrated planning, adopt digital scheduling tools, secure timely release of funds, and tighten scope change control.