FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF RURAL ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN GAMO GOFA ZONE: CASE OF UNIVERSAL RURAL ROAD ACCESS PROGRAM

Abstract

Road infrastructure has a facilitative role in supporting socio-economic development of a country through creating access to basic services; market, health, education and other social facilities. The main objective of this paper was identifying local factors affecting the performance of rural road construction projects in Gamo Gofa Zone. To achieve the aim of the study, a comprehensive literature review was deployed to generate a set of factors believed to affect construction project performance. All the influencing factors were considered in questionnaire and questionnaire survey was conducted to perception of stakeholders. A total of 39 questionnaires were distributed to three key groups of project participants; namely client, contractors and consultants. Each respondent is asked to rank the factors in a range of one to five. The analysis of the response was done using the SPSS software. The outcome of the analysis indicates that delay in progress payment from client to contractor, planned time for the construction period, planning method and scheduling techniques, overall management actions and organizational forms, terrain character, project team leaders experience, contractor payment procedure, time and budget constraints, client objectives, technical uncertainties, and performance monitoring during project were major local factors affecting performance of the projects. From the findings, the study concluded that client, project context and contractor related factors primarily influence time and cost performance indicators of the project in Gamo Gofa Zone. It was recommended that client need to reduce the level at which he interferes during construction processes in order to achieve better performance, pay contractors progress payment on time to overcome delay, and be able to state in details the project objectives which will assist the Contractor to achieve desired performance. Contractors satff are recommeded to have a team spirt to work together and cooperate inorder to avoide conflict among them. Consultants are recommended to apply critical path method that will assist them to evaluate overall time performance and to identify the effectiveness of critical path on completion date of Road infrastructure has a facilitative role in supporting socio-economic development of a country through creating access to basic services; market, health, education and other social facilities. The main objective of this paper was identifying local factors affecting the performance of rural road construction projects in Gamo Gofa Zone. To achieve the aim of the study, a comprehensive literature review was deployed to generate a set of factors believed to affect construction project performance. All the influencing factors were considered in questionnaire and questionnaire survey was conducted to perception of stakeholders. A total of 39 questionnaires were distributed to three key groups of project participants; namely client, contractors and consultants. Each respondent is asked to rank the factors in a range of one to five. The analysis of the response was done using the SPSS software. The outcome of the analysis indicates that delay in progress payment from client to contractor, planned time for the construction period, planning method and scheduling techniques, overall management actions and organizational forms, terrain character, project team leaders experience, contractor payment procedure, time and budget constraints, client objectives, technical uncertainties, and performance monitoring during project were major local factors affecting performance of the projects. From the findings, the study concluded that client, project context and contractor related factors primarily influence time and cost performance indicators of the project in Gamo Gofa Zone. It was recommended that client need to reduce the level at which he interferes during construction processes in order to achieve better performance, pay contractors progress payment on time to overcome delay, and be able to state in details the project objectives which will assist the Contractor to achieve desired performance. Contractors satff are recommeded to have a team spirt to work together and cooperate inorder to avoide conflict among them. Consultants are recommended to apply critical path method that will assist them to evaluate overall time performance and to identify the effectiveness of critical path on completion date of project. For the overall participants the study recommends that all professional should participate in sensitive and vital decision-making. Continuous coordination and relationship between project participants are required for solving problems and developing project performance.