Effect of Project Resource Management Practices on the Success of the Rwanda Urban Development Project II in Kigali
Francoise Muhimpundu and Jean de Dieu Dushimimana
University of Kigali, Rwanda
Email: francoise.muhimpundu@example.ac.rw
Abstract: Urban infrastructure delivery in developing economies continues to struggle with schedule slippage, cost escalation, and uneven use of available resources. This study examined how project resource management practices shape the success of the Rwanda Urban Development Project II (RUDP II) in Kigali, with attention to the human, financial, material, and technological dimensions of resource management. Guided by the resource based view, human capital theory, systems theory, and contingency theory, the study adopted a mixed methods design that combined descriptive and correlational approaches. A census of 214 project personnel, including project managers, engineers, procurement officers, finance staff, and information and communication technology specialists, took part through structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analysed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression, while interview material was analysed thematically. Respondents reported a high perceived level of project success (overall mean 4.72 on a five point scale). All four resource dimensions correlated positively and significantly with project success: technological (r = 0.847), human (r = 0.841), material (r = 0.841), and financial (r = 0.723) resource management, each significant at the one percent level. The regression model explained about 79 percent of the variance in project success (R² = 0.792; F = 199.141, p < 0.001). Technological resource management was the strongest predictor (β = 0.301), followed by human (β = 0.274), material (β = 0.264), and financial (β = 0.117) resource management. The findings indicate that project success in RUDP II rests less on any single resource and more on the coordinated management of all four. The study recommends sustained investment in project technologies, continuous staff development, stronger financial and procurement systems, and an integrated approach to resource planning.
