Kenya is making significant strides in enhancing health program execution with the launch of the inaugural Health Professionals and NGOs Project Management Training initiative.
The initiative was unveiled during the 1st Project Management Conference for the Health and NGO sectors, whose goal is to demystify project management in healthcare and promote structured approaches that support health goals at all levels.
This initiative aims to equip healthcare leaders with essential skills for planning, delivering, and sustaining high-impact projects.
Speaking at the Inaugural Project Management Conference for the Health & NGO sectors, Dr. Patrick Amoth, Director-General for Health, highlighted Africa’s ongoing struggle to adopt structured project management practices.
Despite global evidence indicating that well-managed projects can save money, time, and lives, Africa lags behind the rest of the world.
“Africa is overwhelmingly lagging in adopting global project management practices,” Dr. Amoth stated. “Projects are 2.5 times more likely to succeed when organizations implement proper project management processes. Yet, of the world’s 1.7 million project management professionals, less than 3 percent are in Africa.”
He emphasized that the continent’s shortage of certified project managers undermines health gains, despite progress in areas like surveillance, immunization, HIV, malaria, and cancer care.
“Strategy gives us the vision,” he explained, “but project management the discipline of organizing people, resources, timelines, and risks turns that vision into reality.”
In contrast to China’s nearly 600,000 certified Project Management Professionals (PMPs), largely due to government mandates, Africa only has around 33,000, mostly in construction and IT.
In Kenya, only 1,787 individuals hold PMP certification. Amoth pointed out that the consequences of this deficit can be dire. Globally, only 36 percent of health-related projects meet customer expectations an alarming statistic in a sector where mismanagement can directly impact patient outcomes.
Dr. Eliud Mwangi, CEO of the Kenya Institute of Public Health (KIPH), noted that while healthcare workers are already “managing projects,” they often lack the necessary tools and understanding of project management.
Many medical professionals’ questions, “How does project management apply to me?”, “If you deal with people, you deal with projects,”
Dr. Mwangi asserted, explaining that doctors, nurses, and administrators routinely manage strategic plans, quality improvement projects, and procurement cycles without formal training.
Since February, KIPH has trained over 300 professionals, with 90 in the health sector alone, Dr Mwangi said.
Testimonials from alumni at the conference highlighted the immediate impact of this Project management training.
“Enrolling for the CAPM has transformed how I navigate my medical internship,” said Dr. Wacheke Kinyanjui. “I am grateful to KIPH for opening this pathway to excellence.”
Dr. Chris Barasa, CEO of the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK), which oversees more than 600 faith-based health facilities, acknowledged the need for improvement.
“I thought we were performing at around 20 percent success,” he said. “But perhaps we aren’t even near the 36 percent global benchmark.” He urged health managers to prioritize certification and capacity building.
A representative from the Project Management Institute (PMI) Kenya advocated for legislation requiring project leaders of major national projects to hold formal project management credentials, inspired by China’s policy. He emphasized that project management is not merely a technical skill but a universal leadership competency.
Dr. Amoth called on health institutions to adopt globally recognized project management standards, which include establishing Project Management Offices (PMOs), training certified project managers, and integrating monitoring and evaluation from the outset. “This will enhance our effectiveness and efficiency in managing health projects,” he stated, “ultimately improving success rates and ensuring public health impact.”
He reaffirmed the Ministry of Health’s commitment to embedding project management across all levels, from national directorates to county programs, through partnerships with academia, professional bodies, and development partners.
Dr. Mwangi urged universities and NGOs to collaborate in fostering a project management culture within the health sector.
“Project management is a critical skill,” he asserted, emphasizing the need for scaling up project management knowledge for effective resource utilization. As Africa pursues Agenda 2063, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and national development plans,
Dr. Mwangi concluded, “The gap lies not in strategy, but in project execution. Everything you do is a project strategic plans, global health initiatives, hospital expansions, energy reforms all depend on effective project management.
” This initiative is poised to equip a new generation of Kenyan and African health leaders with the skills necessary to deliver well-managed, high-impact programs at a critical time for the continent.”
