THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES ISSN 2321 - 9203 www.theijhss.com 331 Vol 7 Issue 10 DOI No.: 10.24940/ theijhss/ 2019/ v7/ i10/ HS1910-014 October , 2019 THE I NTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES Influence of Scheduling Techniques on Project Performance of Registered Building Works Contractors in Nakuru County, Kenya 1. Introduction 1.1. Background of the Study The purpose of construction project management is to plan, coordinate and control the application of project objectives in the most effective way according to stakeholders’ needs (Harris & McCaffer, 2013). It involves many processes and sub-processes and includes the definition of project scope, cost estimating, roles and responsibilities of the project team, project stakeholder management, as well as the utilization of planning and control methods and tools. These require knowledge of the fundamentals of project management in order to develop successful project plans and schedules (Heagney, 2011), Where there is a lack of knowledge, the application of project management concepts will result in incomplete project plans (or poor planning) and, hence, loss of project performance (Ahern, 2014). The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a schedule as a set of activities with start and finish dates. A schedule defines the work to be accomplished (what), the sequence of work (when), and the required resources (who). Therefore, the purpose of scheduling is to provide a road map for project execution, from inception to completion (PMI 2013). Simon Makori M.Sc. Student, Department of Project Management, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology, Kenya Dr. Michael Mundia Lecturer, School of Entrepreneurship, Procurement and Management, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology, Kenya Abstract: The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a schedule as a set of activities with start and finish dates. A schedule defines the work to be accomplished (what), the sequence of work (when), and the required resources (who). Therefore, the purpose of scheduling is to provide a road map for project execution, from inception to completion.Successful construction projects basically rely on successful practices of project management in regard to planning, implementation and cost, time and quality achievements. Therefore, the study sought to establish the influence of scheduling techniques on project performance of registered building works contractors in Nakuru County, Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to establish the influence of critical path method and Gantt chart on project performance of registered building works contractors in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study was anchored on the concept of resource dependence, theory of triple constraints and project life cycle model. A descriptive survey research design was adopted in the study targeting 572 building works contractors engaged in building works in Nakuru County, Kenya. Nassiuma’s formula was used to derive the sample size of 85 respondents. Questionnaires were used to collect the primary data desirable for the study.Descriptive statistics involved the use of percentages, frequencies, measures of central tendencies (mean) and measures of dispersion (standard deviation). Inferential statistic involved the use of correlation analysis to establish the nature of the affiliation amongst variables at a generally accepted conventional significant level. The findings indicated that there exists a strong positive and significant relationship between critical path methods and project performance of registered building works contractors with a regression coefficient of 0.382. The findings also indicated that there exists a strong positive and significant relationship between Gantt chart techniques and project performance of registered building works contractors with a regression coefficient of 0.504. The study concluded that through critical path method project managers are able to accurately determine the timelines of various project activities and through Gantt charts project managers are able to track project outcome on time. The study recommended that critical path method should be used to enable project managers to accurately determine the timelines of various project activities. The researcher also recommended that Gantt charts should be used to enable project managers to track project outcome on time. Keywords: Scheduling techniques, Gantt chart, Critical path method, project performance