THE INFLUENCE OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS ON ROAD PROJECT SUCCESS: A CASE STUDY OF DART BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT IN DAR ES SALAAM

Abstract

ABSTRACT The success of road infrastructure projects is crucial for economic growth and urban development, yet many such projects in developing countries face significant challenges, including delays, budget overruns, and poor quality. This study focuses on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project managed by the Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which aims to improve urban mobility and infrastructure. Despite the substantial progress, including 98.86% completion of phase 2 infrastructure, delays in procurement and installation of critical systems have hindered project success. The study investigates the influence of Management Information Systems (MIS) on the success of the DART BRT project in Dar es Salaam, specifically evaluating the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and actual use of MIS. The study used a structured closed-ended survey questionnaire distributed to 95 DART employees, employing stratified random sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression techniques using SPSS IBM version 26 statistical software tool. Results show that while perceived usefulness positively affects road project success factors, this effect is not statistically significant. Conversely, perceived ease of use emerges as a vital predictor with a significant positive effect, indicating that user-friendly systems are more likely to be adopted and effectively utilized. The actual use of MIS is also found to be a significant determinant of road project success factors, supporting the Technology Acceptance Model's framework. The study emphasizes that ease of use and actual application of MIS play more significant roles in driving project success than perceived usefulness alone. These findings offer perspectives for optimizing MIS implementation in road project management, contributing to broader national development goals, and providing practical recommendations for future infrastructure projects. The research highlights the importance of focusing on system usability and encouraging actual utilization to enhance project performance and stakeholders’ satisfaction in the circumstance of developing countries' infrastructure development. Future studies could explore the long-term impact of MIS on road project sustainability, focusing on how continuous use of MIS contributes to ongoing project performance beyond completion.