Identifying Building Contractors’ Project Planning Success Indicators: The Case of Nigerian Indigenous Contractors

Abstract

The frequent criticism of theperformance of Nigerian Indigenous contractors is a consequence of management incapacity and poor project planning. This can be addressed if contractors understand the indicators of project planning success and apply this knowledge in the planning of their project tasks. This research therefore aims at identifying contractors’ project planning success indicators and their level of importance. Literature review revealed sixteen contractors’ project planning success indicators. The study used a questionnaire survey method and administered 300 questionnaires through purposive sampling to indigenous contractors, consultants and public professionals in northern Nigeria. Data collected were analysed using SPSS for: reliability, correlation, and significance tests, as well as descriptive statistics. The research findings reveal that all the identified success indicators are important to contractors in attaining project planning success. The most important success indicators are: plan’s adherence to time; plan’s adherence to quality; and adequacy of plan in determining suppliers’ delivery dates. The study therefore recommends that contractors should: understand the technicalities in project planning through the adoption of project management methodology; adopt ICT in project planning; employ a competent workforce, embark on continuous training and have good knowledge of the construction market.This research finding will facilitates the indigenous contractors in attaining project success, consequently, enhance the performance of the NCI to meetinternational best practice.

Keywords: Construction industry, Contracting, Indigenous contractors, Project Management and Planning,Success indicators