Improving the utilization of financial resources based on priorities at infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip

Abstract

One of the major concerns in the management of infrastructure projects in the Gaza strip is the process selecting and implementing relevant priority infrastructure projects that meet local needs. The objectives of this study were: Firstly, to explore the existing situation of the prioritization of infrastructure projects. Secondly, to identify the causes of non-prioritization infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip. Thirdly, to develop the criteria to prioritize infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip. That can help guide donors, governments, municipalities and other stakeholder in their efforts to prioritize infrastructure projects to achieve specified local needs and make good project selection decisions. A quantitative method (questionnaire survey) to collect the required data was adopted in this research. In this study, the targeted population groups contain ministries, municipalities, NGOs, international agencies and consultancy establishes working in infrastructure sector in the Gaza strip. 120 questionnaires have been distributed, 92 respondents completed and returned the questionnaire, 86 valid responses were used for the analysis which represents a total response rate of 71.67%. The results indicated that there is clear agreement between the respondents about the effectiveness of some causes for non-prioritization infrastructure projects. The respondents mentioned that the most important causes are related to the project and its location, the surrounded political and economic environment, donors and project's owner. Hereafter, a 15- criteria have been proposed in this study. Results showed that the most important criteria that could be used in prioritizing the infrastructure projects are availability of fund and budget for the project, the degree of the community need for the project, project sustainability, compatibility with the organization future vision, the political and economic conditions, the donors' policies and Interests, integration between services, potentials of implementing the project technically and risks associated with the project. Utilizing these criteria will give structured guidance to decision makers, visibility to industry and transparency for the community and donors. This study recommended that the proposed criteria of this study could be used as a guideline to help decision makers in prioritizing infrastructure projects. It's also recommended to the promotion of community participation to identify the local needs. It is recommended to do further studies to developed criteria and framework that would be helpful in prioritizing infrastructure needs in developing countries.