PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES OF BASIC EMERGENCY OBSTETRIC AND NEWBORN CARE PROJECT: THE CASE OF ETHIOPIAN MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION

Abstract

The objective of the study is to assess the project implementation practice and challenges how the effectiveness of the project measured and what challenges faced in the project implementation practice and how to investigate possible opportunities that could aid the implementation performance of Ethiopian Midwives Association (EMwA). The research adopted descriptive design to investigate challenges and opportunities of project implementation practice with the application of modern project management principle. Data were collected using census method both at head office (EMwA office) and at regional level, From EMwA, all 18 project employees who directly have interaction with the project execution and from the region 62 project beneficiaries who have been trained through BEmONC project in the past one year. Data were analyzed descriptively and presented using tables, figures and narrative texts. Findings reveled that EMwA assisted beneficiaries towards yet it was not effective in involving them in its project initiation and planning phases of its project life cycle. Consequently, the project has passed through defective monitoring and evaluation practices during implementing. Moreover, lack of supplies and equipment restrained the successful implementation of the project. The main challenges of the project implementation were that EMwA did not perceive the beneficiaries need before the training has been provided in which the trainees raise questions related to daily subsistence, training place comfort. EMwA’s another challenge was shortage of demonstration materials after the training provided to the health workers to apply the trained health workers at health station. On the other hand, a great challenge of EMwA was high turnover of project team and technical employee (Midwife Advisors). With all these challenges and performance practices, the project is executed with schedule performance index (SPI) of 80% and cost performance index (CPI) of 89%) which is below the conventionally acceptable standard of project earned value, i.e. 92% above. To conclude, inadequate participation of beneficiaries coupled with lack of supplies to implement a project highly contributed for lower SPI and CPI scores. Therefore, project designers and implementers should provide adequate attention (and act accordingly) so that it will be possible to raise or increase project SPI and CPI. Moreover, adequate supply of inputs before project launching can help to implement projects successfully, with better SPI and CPI scores.