Variation factors of project plans and their contributions to project failure in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines and analyses the variation factors of project plan and their contributions to project failure. The slippage of project plans with respect to budget, schedule and quality specifications are indicators of poor performance and imminent failure. The primary data used for the study were captured by field survey on some construction firms based on their experience and perceptions on the subject matter. The methods of multiple regression and correlation analyses were the analytical tools used for the data analysis and statistical test of hypotheses. The results of the analyses indicate that design errors, management problems and resource delivery constraints are the significant variation factors of plan that contribute significantly to project failure. The study therefore recommends evaluation of design effectiveness, prior to project implementation, adoption of material requirements planning principles, and institution of corporate policy for periodic and comprehensive human resources development programmes.

Project Failure: The Way forward and Panacea for Development

“…11; projects located offshore Nigeria were completed on schedule and budget with no security or HSE incidents (Subsea, 2011 However, there are also less impressive records concerning the outcomes of other Nigerian projects. In the extant body of literature on project failure in Nigeria, Ubani, Nwachukwu and Nwokonkwo (2010) suggested that after the Nigerian independence in 1960, many developmental projects have suffered failure and abandonment. Okereke (2012) examined projects from various sectors in Nigeria and highlighted several shortcomings and achievements.…”

Determining Significant Mitigation Measures of Detrimental Variations in Public Building Projects in Tanzania

“…These changes can lead to deviations from the sum stipulated in the contract [18]. Evidently, most construction projects especially in developing countries, usually suffer from cost and time overruns due to variations in project plans with the consequence of stagnated economic development [16,6]. This situation compels the need to mitigate detrimental variations during construction process of building projects, as the major instances of project cost and time overruns take place during construction phase.…”

“…Ubani et al [6] identified engagement of project manager to manage the project, clarity of variation order procedures, control for variation orders to arise through contractual clauses and effective use of scheduling techniques as potential mitigation measures of detrimental variations in the Nigerian construction industry. In his research, Moghaddam [10] found that variation logic, variation justification and valuation of indirect effects of variations as significant mitigation measures in the Iranian construction industry.…”

“…However, most of these researchers were too general with little contemplation on their potential mitigation measures. Researchers such as Subramani et al [5] and Ubani et al [6] managed to outline few mitigation measures of detrimental variations in the construction industries of India and Nigeria respectively which inevitably fuel the need to look comparatively the experience in other construction industries. Babatunde [15] and Ismail et al [16] point out that variation with their attached adverse effects in construction projects are a global phenomenon.…”

“…As a result, these researchers have inadequately documented mitigation measures to curb detrimental variations in public building projects. Researchers such as Subramani et al [5] and Ubani et al [6] managed to outline few mitigation measures of detrimental variations in the construction industries of India and Nigeria respectively which inevitably fuel the need to look comparatively the experience in other construction industries. Moreover, researchers identified this area of study as deserving attention since none of the studies highlighted addressed the mitigating procedures of detrimental variations on the performance of public building projects in Tanzania.…”