Merging Project Implementation Units And The Project Performance In Rwanda : A Case Study Of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) Single Project Implementation Unit (SPIU)

Abstract

The reform by merging public institutions is now becoming common in Rwanda. The present study was driven by the concerns about the impact of merging project implementation units on the performance of environmental project in Rwanda. A conceptual framework for this research was developed which considered merging PIUs as the independent variable and the project performance as the dependent variable. The researcher adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative methodology, in the form of a self-administered questionnaire, with a qualitative phase, in the form of in-depth interviews and focus individual consultations in order to get the primary data. Views about merging project implementation units and project performance in Rwanda were gathered from 45 staff working for REMA SPIU and secondary data were also collected to supplement the views. Findings from this research demonstrated that centralization of decision-making, shared services and merger in SPIU each one has a positive impact on the project performance. This performance is especially related to the decrease of project costs and the achievement and improvement of project outputs. The study also showed that there is another measurement criterion for environmental project performance which is beneficiaries‟ satisfaction. In addition, the results showed that there is a strong positive relationship between merging project implementation units and the project performance. However, it has been noted that the existence of bureaucracy at SPIU coordination level tends to hinder the time performance of environmental project. Finally, the study concluded that merging project implementation units has a positive impact on the project performance and recommended REMA to fight against the bureaucracy in order to increase the project time performance.