Impact of Local Government Authorities’ Development Budget on Project Performance in Tanzania: A Case of Muheza District Council

Abstract

The study examined the impact of Local Government Authorities’ (LGAs) development budgets on project performance in Tanzania, with a specific focus on Muheza District Council. A descriptive research design was employed, and 64 respondents were selected through purposive sampling. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression in SPSS Version 27.0 to determine the effects of project planning, project management, budget allocation, and budget utilisation on project performance. The findings revealed that project planning, project management, and budget allocation each had a significant positive effect on project performance, contributing to improvements of 75%, 55%, and 65% respectively. Conversely, budget utilisation was found to have an insignificant influence on project performance. These results underscore the importance of comprehensive planning, effective managerial practices, and timely budget allocation in enhancing the performance of development projects, while inefficiencies in budget utilization continue to present challenges. The study contributes to the literature on public administration and development planning by providing insights that can assist policymakers in strengthening resource allocation, project planning, and management within LGAs to improve project outcomes.