Influence of resource planning practices on project success in the AIRTEA project in Musanze District, Rwanda

Abstract

This study assessed the influence of resource planning practices on the success of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Ecosystem for Inclusive Rural Transformation and Livelihoods in Eastern Africa (AIRTEA) project in Musanze District, Rwanda. Specifically, the study examined the influence of human, financial, material, and technological resource planning on project success. The study was guided by Resource-Based Theory, Modern Portfolio Theory, Theory of Constraints, and Systems Theory. A descriptive and correlational research design was adopted. The study population comprised 1,384 individuals, including 20 staff from relevant institutions and 1,364 potato farmers engaged in the AIRTEA project. A sample of 310 respondents was selected, comprising all 20 staff and 290 farmers. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, while secondary data were obtained from project reports and related records. Of the 310 sampled respondents, 302 provided complete responses, representing a response rate of 97.42%. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression in SPSS version 29, complemented by thematic analysis of qualitative data. The regression model was statistically significant, F(4, 297) = 250.681, p < .001, and explained 77.1% of the variance in project success (R² = .771; adjusted R² = .768). Human resource planning (β = .296, p < .001), financial resource planning (β = .396, p < .001), material resource planning (β = .193, p < .001), and technological resource planning (β = .155, p < .001) were all positive and statistically significant predictors of project success. The findings indicate that coordinated planning of human, financial, material, and technological resources is associated with successful implementation of agricultural development projects. The study recommends institutionalizing competency profiling, strengthening financial planning and control, improving material resource coordination, and enhancing technological infrastructure to support effective project implementation and sustainability.