Design and Pre-Contract Delay and Its Impact on Construction Project Delivery in Nigeria (original) (raw)

2022, Construction and Human Settlements Management Journal (CHSMJ)

Delay is a phenomenon that impacts construction project baselines. Delays lead to majorly, time and cost overruns and other parameters, for which the construction industry has been highly criticised. While many delays manifest during construction, most of the foundational causes occur from inefficiencies and unknowns at the pre-contract stage. This study assessed the causes and impact of design and pre-contract delays on construction project delivery. A survey research approach was adopted in which a quantitative questionnaire was used to gather data from construction professionals using a purposive sampling technique. With a response rate of 43.75% and a reliability index above 0.80, the gathered data were analysed using frequency, percentage, relative importance index (RII) and Friedman test. The study revealed that the most critical causes of delays at the design and pre-contract stage are; incomplete drawings/ detail design, corrupt practices, Incompetent/inexperienced design/project teams, mistakes and errors in designs, unclear documentation, poor communication among the consultants staff, late design and design documentation, unclear details and design specification, misunderstanding of clients requirements, and poor project feasibility studies. The most critical impacts are time overrun, disputes between parties, cost overruns, poor quality of construction, and abandonments. Construction project stakeholders have a critical role in ensuring that adequate care is taken at the pre-contract stage to avoid causes that could result in delays at the construction stage. It is recommended that the client, as well as the consultant/design teams, ensure that construction project designs/drawings and specifications are completed before construction work on site starts.