Project time overruns

Abstract

The construction industry is one of the main contributors to the economy and development of a country. In actual fact many projects, namely new roads, airports, hospitals and housing are build every year. These projects generate substantial economic activity within a country as well as helping in the development and progress of the same country through a better infrastructure and facilities. However, the success of these projects is sometimes distorted by the fact that they experience time overruns, which is one of the three main successful criteria measurements (time, cost and quality) that normally benchmarks the project's measurement. There are various causes of delays with a number of the said causes being incorporated in various projects. In this dissertation, the problem of not honouring proposed timelines due to potential difficulties which construction projects might seem to be facing by present circumstances is analysed. Hence, the researcher compiles a list of these common causes, which create time overruns, in order to compile a final list of recommended recourses that need to be applied in every construction project in order to limit time overruns, which cause substantial damage potential increase in overheads and negative cost variances. A number of journals and other written contributions are being consulted in order to analyse the observations and suggested recommendations by other researchers. In addition, a number of construction projects are being analysed in order to strengthen and support the argument. The study includes one to one interviews with stakeholders involved in the construction industry: namely clients, project, managers, architects, building contractors, and an M&E Consultant in order to extract a cross-sectional understanding in relation to normally encountered issues. Moreover, a project in which the researcher is highly involved is being included as a case study in respect of the problems usually encountered within the Maltese Construction Industry. The following recommendations are suggested to meet the project timelines: • Create a varied team of experts throughout the project as from the planning stage; • Involve the skilled and the semi-skilled workforce in the planning process; • Get hold of the environmental parameters and other social responsibility features which may affect the project; • Adopt an empirical project management tool such as GANTT charts; • Create a cost schedule of the various project elements; • Create the function of an internal auditor to substantiate performance of project implementation matched with any potential variances; • Take immediate recourse to any negative variance or to any event that may put the project off-track.