Solid Waste Management Projects in Nairobi County, Kenya: Analytical Review of Project Management Technical Skills and Performance of Youth Environmental Projects

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate on solid waste collection within Nairobi County residential areas managed by youth groups dealing with environmental projects. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of technical skills on performance of youth environmental projects in Nairobi County. The study's unit of analysis was 70 youth environmental groups projects comprised of 700 youth group members engaged on solid waste management projects in Nairobi County.  The study used a sample size of 248 group members, based on Krejcie and Morgan's sample table. Proportionate method was applied to calculate the sample strata, where simple random sampling was used on the sampled strata. Key informants from 4 departments of Directorate of Youth affairs were purposely selected. The study adopted descriptive survey and correlational research designs using Participatory Action Research approach. Research instruments entailed questionnaires, observation checklists, an interview guide, a focus group discussion guide and structure forms for content analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed and presented in themes while quantitative data was analyzed descriptively using percentage frequencies, mean, and standard deviation. Inferentially, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis including hypotheses t-test were used as tools of analysis to test for significance on the study null hypothesis which stated that: H0: Technical skills do not significantly influence performance of youth environmental projects in Nairobi County. From the findings of regression and correlation analysis, the correlation output showed that technical skills characteristics were statistically significant (P-values under significant 2-tailed were all less than α=0.05) towards performance of youth environmental projects. The correlation index between technical skills and performance was positive and significant, r (247) =.715; p≤.05. This inferred that as the level of technical skills increases, the performance levels also increases.  This implied that the null hypothesis was rejected and the conclusion made that: H_1: There is a significant influence of technical skills on performance of youth environmental projects in Nairobi County, which was the alternative hypothesis.