Enhancing public sector project delivery through strategic human resource capability: the mediating role of performance monitoring in post-award contract management
Abstract
Effective post-award contract management is essential for ensuring successful public sector project delivery, yet many government projects continue to experience delays, cost overruns, and implementation inefficiencies. While Strategic Human Resource Capability (SHRC) is widely recognised as a key organisational resource, limited empirical evidence explains how workforce capability is transformed into improved project outcomes within public sector organisations. Guided by Open Systems Theory (OST), this study examines the mediating role of Performance Monitoring in the relationship between Strategic Human Resource Capability and Project Delivery Quality in Malaysian public sector post-award contract management. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 462 public officers responsible for post-award contract management across 28 Federal Ministries in Malaysia. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4. The findings reveal that Strategic Human Resource Capability has a significant positive effect on Performance Monitoring, which subsequently improves Project Delivery Quality. Performance Monitoring also significantly mediates the relationship between Strategic Human Resource Capability and Project Delivery Quality, demonstrating that organisational capabilities create value through effective internal governance processes. This study contributes to the Strategic Human Resource Management and public governance literature by providing empirical evidence that Performance Monitoring functions as a critical organisational mechanism linking workforce capability with project success. The findings further extend the application of Open Systems Theory in the context of post-award contract management and offer practical implications for strengthening human resource capability, organisational monitoring practices, and governance to improve public sector project performance in Malaysia