NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DEPARTMENT OF QUANTITY SURVEYING

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

ON ZIMBABWEAN COSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

By

TAWANDA SHIRI (N011 4253X)

A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Quantity Surveying In Partial

Fulfilment for the Bachelor of Quantity Surveying (Honours) Degree

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

May 2015
DECLARATION

The candidate herewith adjudges that the work presented in this Dissertation on “AN

INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

ON ZIMBABWEAN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS” for the Bachelor of Quantity Surveying

(Honours) degree presented to the Department of Quantity Surveying in the Faculty of the Built

Environment at the National University of Science and Technology, is that of the candidate alone

and has not previously been submitted, in whole or part, in respect of any other academic award

and has not been published in any form by any person except where due reference is given.

Candidate

(Tawanda Shiri) Signature Date

Supervisor or marker

(Mr. R. Muvungani) Signature Date

i
DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this research to my fiancée Mildred Yahaya for all her support and

continuous encouragement.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the people who made

contributions to make this research possible.. This study could not have been completed without

the generous support and contribution of many individuals and institutions.

My affectionate gratitude goes to my supervisor Mr R. Muvungani for his continued support and

guidance throughout the writing of this dissertation. His supervision was superb and I will

continue to cherish him for the good work. I am particularly grateful to my parents, my brothers,

sisters and all relatives among others, for their prayers, encouragement, and love.

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ABSTRACT
Project success can be achieved if the construction works flows efficiently within the time limits.
The inability to complete projects on time continues to be a chronic problem worldwide, and
Zimbabwe is not an exception. Most of the construction projects in Zimbabwe have had problems
with delays in completion, which has caused considerable concern. The focus on this study was to
investigate the causes, the effects and strategic measures to minimize the occurrence of
construction delays on construction projects. This study was treated in two parts. The first part
covered the review of literature on the subject matter of construction delays on construction
projects. The information and recommendations found from literature were used to develop and
establish direction for the second part of the study. The second part was an investigation of
construction delays on Zimbabwean construction projects through analysing four cases of
construction projects in Zimbabwe and questionnaire survey of nineteen contractors, eight
construction consultants (amongst which quantity surveyors, architects and civil engineers) and
four projects owners. Twenty two causes of construction delays were identified from literature
review. The field survey identified the main causes of construction delays and these include
financial difficulties of the client; variations; contractor‟s financial difficulties and late payment.
The results also showed that construction delays resulted mostly in cost overruns; badly affected
company reputation; bad contractual relationships and project suspension amongst others. Eleven
strategic measures were identified from literature and the results of the study recommended five
measures to be effective in curbing construction delays. It is recommended from this study that
clients must secure sufficient construction finances before engaging into a project, consultants and
the procurement team must choose a competent contractor and contractors must not engage into
projects which they are not capable of executing.

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CONTENTS

DECLARATION.............................................................................................................................................. i
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................................... ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..............................................................................................................................iii
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................................iv
CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................................. v
LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................................ix
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................x
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................ 1
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................................................................................... 4
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................... 5
1.4 AIM OF STUDY ................................................................................................................................ 5
1.5 OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................... 5
1.6 JUSTIFICATION ................................................................................................................................ 5
1.7 RESEARCH OUTLINE........................................................................................................................ 6
1.7.1 Chapter One: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 6
1.7.2 Chapter Two: Literature Review............................................................................................. 6
1.7.3 Chapter Three: Methodology ................................................................................................. 6
1.7.4 Chapter Four: Data Presentation and Analysis ...................................................................... 6
1.7.5 Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................ 7
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................ 8
2.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 8
2.2 CONSTRUCTION DELAYS................................................................................................................. 8
2.3 TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS ................................................................................................. 9
2.3.1 Excusable ................................................................................................................................ 9
2.3.2 Non-excusable delays ........................................................................................................... 10
2.4 THE CAUSES OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS..................................................................................... 10
2.4.1 Contractors’ Financial Difficulties......................................................................................... 12
2.4.2 Large scale and high quality requirements .......................................................................... 12
2.4.3 International involvement .................................................................................................... 12
2.4.4 Contractual relationship ....................................................................................................... 12
2.4.5 Coordination Problems......................................................................................................... 13
2.4.6 Contractor’s incapability ...................................................................................................... 13

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 2.4.7 Financial market instability .................................................................................................. 13
2.4.8 Over commitment of construction firms ............................................................................. 14
2.4.9 Labour shortage ................................................................................................................... 14
2.4.10 General labor strikes ............................................................................................................ 14
2.4.11 Wrong time estimation ........................................................................................................ 14
2.4.12 Language barrier .................................................................................................................. 15
2.4.13 Construction Mistakes and Defective Works ....................................................................... 16
2.4.14 Change orders by clients ...................................................................................................... 16
2.4.15 Financial difficulties of the client.......................................................................................... 16
2.4.16 Late Payment ........................................................................................................................ 17
2.4.17 Bad weather conditions ....................................................................................................... 17
2.4.18 Insufficient financial resources............................................................................................. 17
2.4.19 Shortage of equipment ........................................................................................................ 18
2.4.20 Lost Productivity and Efficiency ........................................................................................... 18
2.4.21 Poor site management. ........................................................................................................ 18
2.4.22 Acts of God ........................................................................................................................... 19
2.5 THE EFFECTS OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS.................................................................................... 19
2.5.1 Time Overrun........................................................................................................................ 19
2.5.2 Rescheduling ........................................................................................................................ 20
2.5.3 Cost Overrun ........................................................................................................................ 20
2.5.4 Disputes ................................................................................................................................ 21
2.5.5 Arbitration ............................................................................................................................ 21
2.5.6 Litigation ............................................................................................................................... 21
2.5.7 Company Reputation............................................................................................................ 21
2.5.8 Total Abandonment ............................................................................................................. 22
2.6 STRATEGIC MEASURES TO ENHANCE SUCCESSFUL PROJECT DELIVERY ...................................... 22
2.6.1 Early payment....................................................................................................................... 23
2.6.2 Acceleration of site activities ............................................................................................... 23
2.6.3 Reinforcement of liquidated damages clauses .................................................................... 23
2.6.4 Proper pre-construction planning ........................................................................................ 24
2.6.5 Developing appropriate communication system ................................................................. 24
2.6.6 Management during construction. ...................................................................................... 24
2.6.7 Contingency allowance ........................................................................................................ 25
2.6.8 Motivation of staff................................................................................................................ 25

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CHAPTER THREE-RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 26
3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 26
3.2 RESEARCH Design ......................................................................................................................... 26
3.3 AREA OF STUDY ............................................................................................................................ 26
3.4 TARGET POPULATION................................................................................................................... 26
3.4.1 Sampling Frame .................................................................................................................... 27
3.4.2 Sampling size ........................................................................................................................ 27
3.4.3 Sampling methods ................................................................................................................ 28
3.5 DATA COLLECTION TOOLS ............................................................................................................ 29
3.5.1 Primary Data Sources ........................................................................................................... 29
3.5.2 Interviews ............................................................................................................................. 29
3.5.3 Questionnaires ..................................................................................................................... 30
3.5.4 Case studies .......................................................................................................................... 31
3.5.5 Secondary Data Sources ....................................................................................................... 31
3.6 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS .......................................................................................... 32
3.7 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................ 32
CHAPTER FOUR- DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................... 33
4.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 33
4.2 GENERAL INFORMATION .............................................................................................................. 33
4.2.1 Questionnaire response rate................................................................................................ 33
4.2.2 Interviews response rate ...................................................................................................... 34
4.2.3 Years of experience of organisations ................................................................................... 34
4.3 CONSTRUCTION DELAYS............................................................................................................... 35
4.3.1 Responsible part to construction delays .............................................................................. 36
4.3.2 Causes of construction delays .............................................................................................. 37
4.3.3 Effects of construction delays .............................................................................................. 43
4.4 STRATEGIC MEASURES TO MINIMISE DELAYS.............................................................................. 46
4.5 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 51
CHAPTER FIVE RECCOMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSSION............................................................................ 52
5.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 52
5.2 CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................................................................. 52
5.2.1 Causes of construction delays .............................................................................................. 52
5.2.2 Effects of construction delays .............................................................................................. 53
5.2.3 Suggested measures to minimize construction delays ........................................................ 53

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5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................... 53
5.4 AREA FOR FURTHER RESEARCH .................................................................................................... 54
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................. 55
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................................. 61
APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE ............................................................................................................ 62
APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS .................................................................................................. 68

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LIST OF FIGURES

Fig 2.1 General Labour strike......................................................................................................... 15

Fig 4.1 Respondents‟ experience in the construction industry ....................................................... 35

Fig 4.2 Responses for experiencing construction delays .............................................................. 36

Fig 4.3 Percentage contribution of construction parties to construction delays ............................. 36

Fig 4.4 Case study: Percentage response to the causes of construction delays .............................. 42

Fig 4.5 Ranking of the effects of construction delays .................................................................... 43

Fig 4.6 Case study: Strategic measures to minimize delays ........................................................... 49

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Composition of the sample size .................................................................................... 28

Table 4.1: Respondents rate ........................................................................................................... 33

Table 4.2 Interview response rate ................................................................................................... 34

Table 4.3 Questionnaire results of the causes of delays ................................................................. 38

Table 4.4 Case study: Effects of construction delays on cost ........................................................ 45

Table 4.5 Strategic measures to minimize delays .......................................................................... 48

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ABBREVIATIONS

CIFOZ……….. Construction Industry Federation of Zimbabwe

GDP…………..Gross Domestic Product

IAZ……………Institute of Architects Zimbabwe

NUST…………National University of Science and Technology

RII……………..Relative Importance Index

UAE…………..United Arab Emirate

ZBCA…………Zimbabwe Building Construction Association

ZIE…………….Zimbabwe Institute of Engineers

ZIQS…………..Zimbabwe Institute of Quantity Surveyors

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

The Zimbabwean construction industry continues to occupy an important position in the nation‟s

economy even though it contributes less than other services industries. This contribution of the

construction industry to national economic growth necessitates improved efficiency in the

industry by means of cost-effectiveness and timelines and would certainly contribute to cost

savings for the country as a whole (http://www.amazingvictoriafalls.com/archives/5309). A major

criticism facing the Zimbabwean construction industry is the growing rate of construction delays

in project delivery.

Construction delays are the most serious problems which send bad signals to foreign investors

thereby slowing national development (Niazai and Gidado, 2012). Tse and Ganesan, (1997) and

Crosthwaite, (2000) as cited by Wibowo, (2009) acknowledge that the construction industry

accounts for a sizeable proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in economies of developed

and developing countries stimulating economic growth through backward and forward linkages.

In countries like United Arab Emirates (UAE), where construction plays a major role in its

development and contributes up to 14% to the GDP, construction delays participate negatively in

declining the economy‟s GDP, (Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2009). The

construction industry of Zimbabwe has a potential of accounting for at least 20% of the country‟s

annual GDP though it is operating below that,

(http://www.amazingvictoriafalls.com/archives/5309).

Although the construction industry represents a substantial portion of the economy, the

performance and improvement in construction productivity in the world over the past years has

been declining (Choy, 2004). This decline has been echoed by such researchers like Hewage and

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Ruwanpura (2007); and Sharpe (2006). Zimbabwe has not been spared from this predicament.

Since Zimbabwe as a developing country executing new construction works and refurbishment of

existing infrastructure, most of the construction projects are not achieving their goals due to

construction delays, (http://www.amazingvictoriafalls.com/archives/5309).

Construction delays can be defined as the time overrun either beyond the contract date or beyond

the date that the parties have agreed upon for delivery (Assaf and Al-Hejji 2006). More so, Aibinu

and Jabgoro (2002) defined construction delays as a situation where a contractor and the project

owner jointly or severally contribute to the non-completion of the project within the original or

the stipulated or agreed contract period. Therefore, one can sum up the definition of construction

delays as the inability to complete a construction project on stipulated time.

Construction delays occur when progress of a contract falls behind schedule and this may have

been caused by any party to the contract and may be a direct result of one or more circumstances.

Kaliba et al, (2009) found that the major causes of construction delays on construction projects in

Zambia were: delayed payments; financial deficiencies; on the part of the client or contractor;

contract modifications; economic problems; material procurement problems; changes in design

drawings; staffing problems; unavailability of equipment; poor supervision; construction

mistakes; poor coordination on site; changes in specification; labour disputes and strikes. In

addition monthly payment difficulties from agencies; poor contractor management; material

procurement; poor technical performances; and escalation of material prices were identified as the

main factors which cause construction delays in Ghana, (Frimpong, 2003). Kouskili and Kartan

(2004) identified the main factors affecting time overrun in Malaysia as adequate equipment,

tools and plants; unreliable sources of materials on the local market and site accidents. This shows

that the causes of construction delays vary from country to country, and there are also different

effects of these delays.

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Chan and Kumaraswamy‟s (1997) study on construction delays in Hong Kong concluded that

construction delays for whatever reasons, most probably lead to time overrun as the project may

experience extension of time. They further argue that extension of time also may lead to time

overrun where it involves extra financial expenditure. Mohamad, (2010) researched on the effects

of construction delays on government projects in Jordan. The research indicated that, there were

five different effects of construction delays on projects and these were cost overrun; rescheduling

and rearrangement; litigation; disputes and arbitration. In addition, construction delays cause

disruption of work and loss of productivity; late completion of project; increased time related

costs and third party claims and abandonment or termination of contract, (Abedi et al, 2011). In as

much as construction delays are complex from one project to another, it is important for a further

study in this area to be carried out.

This area has been widely studied by researchers from different countries (Bramble and

Callanham, 1992; Mansfield et al, 1994; Assaf and Mohammed, 1995; Al Kass and Mazeroll,

1996; Thorvaldsson et al, 1996; Odeyinka and Yusif, 1997; Kumaraswamy and Chan, 1998; Al

Khalil, 1999; Odeh, 2002; Aibinu and Jabgoro, 2002; Battaineh, 2002; Hussein, 2002; Crawford

and Frimpong, 2003; Koushki and Kartam, 2005; Lo et al, 2006; Abdul Rahman and Yahya,

2006; Ajibade and Henry, 2006) just to mention a few, and different conclusions have been drawn

with respect to each country. However, the Zimbabwean construction industry has its own

peculiarities to other construction industries, necessitating a study to address this problem.

More so, in Zimbabwe there are limited publications, if any, which have sought to identify the

causes and extent to which construction delays are contributing to the Zimbabwean construction

projects. Thus the need to carry out this study is essential.

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1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Construction delays occurs in most construction projects and the magnitude of these delays varies

considerably from project to project, and this problem is a worldwide phenomenon. According to

a research by Shen et al, (2001), in UAE the majority of building projects were not completed

within the stipulated contract period. Another study by Aibinu and Jabgoro, (2002), deduced that

construction projects in Nigeria were experiencing cost overruns due to construction delays.

Moreover, Mohammed & Isah, (2012) conducted a review on projects in developing countries

and found that they were experiencing construction delays and were being abandoned.

This inability to complete projects on time continues to be a chronic problem worldwide, and

Zimbabwe is not an exception. For instance most, of the construction projects in Zimbabwe have

had problems with delays in completion, which has caused considerable concern. Joina Centre, a

major commercial centre in Harare, had a time overrun of eight years (8), (Business Herald 18

March 2010), as quoted by Chigara and Mangore, (2012).This time overrun gives rise to an

increased construction budget to the client. The construction of the country‟s largest inland water

reservoir, Tokwe-Mukosi Dam, was delayed due to suspension in 1999 as a result of lack of funds

and since then it has been a stop-and-start affair, (www.southerneye.co.zw/2014/04/16/tokwe-

mukosi-project-taken-long). Furthermore the delays in construction of the Great Limpopo bridge

continues to be a stumbling block in the completion of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park,

with tourists facing difficulties in accessing Zimbabwe‟s Gonarezhou National Park, (The Herald

30 March 2006).

Even though the construction industry of Zimbabwe tried to improve the advances in crafting

construction management systems, construction projects are hardly completed on time.

Construction delays therefore are a problem which needs to be properly addressed and minimized

so as to enhance successful project delivery in terms of time.

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1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

 What are the causes of construction delays on Zimbabwean construction projects?

 What are the effects the construction delays on Zimbabwean construction projects?

 What strategic measures that can be taken to improve successful project delivery?

1.4 AIM OF STUDY

The aim of this research is to investigate the causes and effects of construction delays in the

Zimbabwean construction projects.

1.5 OBJECTIVES

 To identify the causes of construction delays on Zimbabwean construction projects

 To assess the effects of construction delays on Zimbabwean construction projects

 To determine strategic measures that can be considered for successful Zimbabwe‟s

construction project delivery.

1.6 JUSTIFICATION

The research is carried out for the purpose to fill in the gap of construction delays on Zimbabwean

situation. Carrying out a research on the causes and effects of construction delays in Zimbabwe is

needful since many Zimbabwean projects are experiencing construction delays. The outcomes of

the research will then be a guideline to the parties that will be involved in construction projects so

as to minimise or get rid of construction delays. More so, the outcomes of the research will help

the project team to suggest on several strategies that can be adopted to minimise construction

delays on construction projects.

The project team will benefit from the outcomes of this research in sense that they will have ideas

of the causes of construction delays and their effects on projects. Knowing these will alert them to

5
avoid risks of construction delays and enhance successful project delivery in terms of time. On

the other hand successful project delivery will benefit other stakeholders, such as occupancies;

residents; tenants and the community. These will access the services offered by the project team

on time.

1.7 RESEARCH OUTLINE

This dissertation consists of five chapters.

1.7.1 Chapter One: Introduction

This chapter introduces the reader to construction delays, background information on the matter;

the problem statement; aim of the research; research objectives; the justification and finally the

research outline.

1.7.2 Chapter Two: Literature Review

This chapter will explore previous studies related to variation orders on construction projects.

The origin, causes and impact of variation orders on projects performance will be discussed.

1.7.3 Chapter Three: Methodology

This chapter focuses on the research methodology that will be used during the research process.

The chapter comprises of research design, target population, sample population, data collection

procedures and data analysis plan.

1.7.4 Chapter Four: Data Presentation and Analysis

This chapter details all the findings obtained during the research and the findings will be analysed

in relation to the body of existing knowledge discussed in Chapter Two. Different methods of

data analysis and presentation will be used in the analysis and presentation of data.

6
1.7.5 Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations

This chapter is for recommendations and conclusions of the research. The researcher‟s

recommendations and conclusion of the causes and effects of construction delays and strategic

recommendations to enhance successful project delivery will be suggested in this chapter.

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter explores previous work done by other scholars and researchers. It looks at the

empirical and theoretical evidence of articles, journals and text books on construction delays.

According to Hart (2003), literature review is the selection of the available documents, both

published and unpublished, on the topic, which contains information, ideas, data and evidence

written from a particular stand point to fulfil certain aims on the nature of the topic and how it is

to be investigated and the effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the reason being

proposed. Furthermore, Boote & Beile, (2005) discussed literature review as an evaluative report

of studies found in the literature related to a selected area. However a literature review goes

beyond the search for information and includes the identification and articulation of relationships

between the literature and the field of research.

2.2 CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

Sanders and Eagles (2001) define construction delays as an event that causes extended time to

complete all or part of a project. According to Assaf and Al-Hejji (2006), construction delays

refer to the time overrun in completion or delivery of project beyond the date on which parties

agreed or project completion date specified. In addition, construction delays may also be defined

as the time overrun, either beyond the date of completion specified by the contract or beyond the

extended contract period where an extension of time has been granted.

Construction delays are a global phenomenon (Sambasivan and Soon, 2007) affecting not only

the construction industry but the overall economies of countries as well (Faradi and El-Sayegh,

(2006). They involve multiple complex issues all of which are invariably of critical negative

effect to the parties to the construction contract. These issues concern entitlement to recover costs

of delay or the necessity to prolong the project with the consequential entitlement to recovery

8
costs for adjustments to the contract schedules. Questions arise as to the causes of construction

delays and the assigning of fault often evolves into disputes and litigation (Bolton, 1990).

Since construction delays are a global phenomenon (Sambasivan and Soon, 2007) many nations

experience construction delays in their construction projects. A study by Saleh, Abdelnaser and

Abdul (2009), shows that construction delays were also one of the biggest problems faced by

construction firms in Libya. Another study by Ogunlana and Promkuntong shows that

construction delays are a problem faced mainly in developing countries such as Thailand and

others.

2.3 TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

The occurrence of construction delays raises the issue of which party should bear the

responsibility. In deciding this question, courts, boards of contract appeals, and arbitration panels

look both to the causes of the delay and to the express and implied obligations imposed by the

parties‟ contract (Smith 2005). Therefore determining the legal consequences that flow from a

given construction delay, and identifying the party that will bear the legal consequences of the

same, depend upon correctly identifying the type of construction delays that have occurred.

Construction delays fall into two major categories (Wortham, 2014; Smith, 2005; Bolton, 1990)

which are excusable and non-excusable delays.

2.3.1 Excusable

Excusable delays are construction delays that are unforeseeable and beyond the control of the

contractor (http://www.cohenseglias.com ). An excusable delay provides a basis under the

contract for an extension of performance time (Smith, 2005). Excusable delays are also either

compensable, permitting the recovery of both time and money, or non-compensable, permitting

solely the recovery of time.

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2.3.1.1 Non-compansable

According to Abudal et al (2002) non-compensable delays are caused by third parties or incidents

beyond the control of both the owner and the contractor. Examples typically include acts of God,

unusual weather, strikes, fires, acts of government in its sovereign capacity, etc. In this case, the

contractor is normally entitled to a time extension but no compensation for delay damages.

2.3.1.2 Compensable

Compensable delays are caused by the client or the client's agents (http://www.cohenseglias.com).

An example of this would be the late release of drawings from the client's architect. This was

supported by Abudal et al (2002) that an excusable, compensable delay usually leads to a

schedule extension and exposes the owner to financial damages claimed by the contractor. In this

case, the contractor incurs additional indirect costs for both extended field office and home office

overhead and unabsorbed home office overhead.

2.3.2 Non-excusable delays

Non-excusable delays are delays that are foreseeable or within the contractor's control

(http://www.cohenseglias.com ). These are caused solely by the contractor or his suppliers. The

contractor is generally not entitled to relief and must either make up the lost time through

acceleration or compensate the owner (Abudal et al 2009). This compensation may come about

through either liquidated damages or actual damages, provided there is no liquidated damages

clause in the contact. Liquidated damages are generally expressed as a daily rate that is based on a

forecast of costs the owner is likely to incur in the event of late completion by the contractor.

2.4 THE CAUSES OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

Construction delays occur when the progress of a contract falls behind schedule, (Apolot and

Tindiwensi 2013). This may be caused by any party to the contract and may be a direct result of

one or more circumstances. Sambasivan and Soon (2007) find that poor planning, poor site

management, inadequate supervisory skills on the part of the contractor, delayed payments,

10
material shortages, labour supply shortages, equipment availability and failure, poor

communication and rework were the major causes of construction delays in the Malaysian

construction industry. According to El-Razek, Bassioni and Mobarak‟s (2008) study: delayed

payments, slow delivery of payments, coordination problems and poor communication were the

major causes of construction delays in construction projects in Egypt. Furthermore Kaliba, Muya

and Mumba (2009) deduced that the major causes of construction delays in construction projects

in Zambia were delayed payments, financial deficiencies on the part of the client or the

contractor, contract modifications, economic problems, material procurement problems, changes

in design drawings, staffing problems, unavailability of equipment, poor supervision, construction

mistakes, poor coordination on site, changes in specifications, labour disputes and strikes.

The causes of construction delays tend to be variable with industries and nations. Ayman (2000)

investigated the causes of construction delays on 130 projects in Jordan. The results indicated that

the main causes of construction delays on construction projects were related to designers, user

changes, weather, site conditions, late deliveries, economic conditions, and increase in quantity.

Assaf and AlHejji (2006) conducted a time performance survey of different types of construction

projects in Saudi Arabia to determine the causes of construction delays according to each project

participant (client, consultant, and contractor) and they identified seventy three (73) causes during

the research.

Sambasvian and Soon (2007) identified the causes of construction delays and their impact on

project completion in the Malaysian construction industry. The results indicated that there are

many different causes of construction delays. This was supported by Ren et al., (2008), who

outlined several causes of construction delays amongst which a few has been chosen for the sake

of this research.

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2.4.1 Contractors’ Financial Difficulties

According to Zagorsky (2007), financial difficulty is defined as getting into a situation where a

respondent's credit is adversely impacted, such as not paying bills. Choon (2008) defined

contractor‟s financial difficulties as the contractor not having sufficient funds to carry out the

construction works. This includes payment for materials, labour and equipment. Thornton (2007),

in his survey, found that slow collection, low profit margins and insufficient capital or excessive

debt are the major causes of financial difficulties among contractors. This is supported by Arshi

and Sameh (2005), Frimpong et al. (2003), who found that delay in payment from the client

would eventually cause financial difficulties to the contractor and most of the construction works

cannot be carried out due to these financial difficulties.

2.4.2 Large scale and high quality requirements

Numerous large projects, for example the Palm, Dubai International Airport extension, Dubai

Marina, Souk Al Nakheel, (Ren et al., 2008) request high quality, not only in workmanship and

construction materials but also in design for an upscale lifestyle. The design, construction and

management of these projects challenge the local construction industry.

2.4.3 International involvement

Since the indigenous companies often do not have the qualifications to design, (Tumi et al., 2009)

construction or management these projects. Foreign companies are involved in some of the

industry sectors. They bring the state of art construction technology and management techniques,

however, many of them are involved in contractual claims and disputes with project delayed and

cost overrun.

2.4.4 Contractual relationship

Most of the construction projects adopt traditional procurement approach (Odeh and Battaineh,

2001). The purpose of conditions of contract which are incorporated in construction contracts is to

amplify and explain the basic obligations of parties to the contract. The conditions also provide

12
the administrative mechanisms for ensuring that the correct procedures are observed (Murdoch

and Hughes, 1992). Unfortunately, there is the perception that some parties are not very familiar

with the conditions of contract resulting in breaches in contract causing construction delays

(Fugar et al 2010).

2.4.5 Coordination Problems

In a construction project, there are many parties involved such as contractor, consultant, sub-

contractor and client. Often, it may be difficult for these various separate parties to coordinate

well in order to complete the project. In one study conducted by Assaf et al. (1995) it was found

that difficulty in coordination between the parties was one of the factors that contributes to

construction delays. In addition, Majid and McCaffer (1998) as quoted by Choon (2008) also

agreed that coordination problems will contribute to construction delays and this was also

supported by Ali et al. (2008) and Kadir et al. (2005) who stated that lack of coordination

between contractors and subcontractors will lead to delay, for example in the situation that newly

revised construction drawings of a project may be issued later by the contractors to the

subcontractors. This leads to construction mistakes and the work requiring to be redone.

Reconstruction work takes additional time, therefore impacting upon the completion time of the

project.

2.4.6 Contractor’s incapability

There are a large number of small construction firms (Motaleb and Kishk, 2010), who are

incapable to work on large scale or middle-sized projects. They often delay their work due to the

limited resources. It is remarkable that these companies are easily affected by the fluctuation of

the market.

2.4.7 Financial market instability

According to Ahmed et al (2003) and Alaghbari (2005), the external factor of poor economic

conditions such as currency and inflation rate would significantly give impact to project ‟ s cash

13
flow, and hence affect the timely performance of the project. The underlying causes to financial

market instability, which will then lead to cash flow problems in construction project include:

increment of interest rate in repayment of loan, fluctuation of material prices, labour wages and

transportation costs and increment of foreign exchange rate for imported materials and plants.

2.4.8 Over commitment of construction firms

Given the high demanding industry, most of the construction firms are over-loaded by taking

more projects than what they can handle (Choon, 2002.). The multitude of projects often beyond

their capacity and they cause delays in delivery of these projects.

2.4.9 Labour shortage

Bruce and Dulipovici (2001) defined labour shortages in simple terms as the difficulty in finding

the right people to fill in the available job. Labour shortage is a problem faced by many countries

all over the world ( Choon 2008). Many companies suffer from the high turnover of skilled

technicians, engineers and labours and the impact is quite severe during the high peak of

construction period.

2.4.10 General labor strikes

Strikes and labor unrest are frequent causes of construction delays on most construction projects

(Dinakar 2014). However, that not all strikes are considered as excusable construction delays.

Generally, a contract clause listing strikes as an excusable construction delay also carries a

qualification that the cause for the construction delay must have been unforeseen and beyond the

control of the contractor. Strikes that are foreseeable at the time of signing the contract are not

considered excusable causes of construction delays.

2.4.11 Wrong time estimation

Wrong time estimation often reduces the productivity and delays project progress. This may be

due to the lack of personnel with estimating skills within the contractors‟ and clients‟

14
organizations (Fugar et al 2010). Thus, the work programmes from the clients or the contractors

need to be checked by experienced planners to avoid over optimistic programme. There is

abundant evidence to support the assertion that many contractors are reluctant to employ high

level skilled staff, (Fugar et al 2010) such as University graduates. Indeed, many contractors in

developing countries are entrepreneurs who are in the business to make more profit (Ogulana and

Olomolaiye ,1989; Wahab, 1997) and therefore, may not be willing to pay highly skilled staff.

Fig 2.1 General Labour strike

Source: Wortham (2014)

2.4.12 Language barrier

In Saudi Arabia, (Ren et al., 2008) the contract language is always Arabic and then translated into

English. Most of the project participants prefer to speak and write in their own language without

employing qualified interpreters. This affects the communication, progress and quality of work.

Using the Arabic language in the contract documents is an important issue and most of the

construction companies have not resolved this problem.

15
2.4.13 Construction Mistakes and Defective Works

Gerskup (2010) claimed that poor workmanship, carelessness and shortcuts are the three key

factors that will contribute to defective works. Zanis (2010) also agrees that poor workmanship is

the main contributor to defective works. Careless mistakes such as taking incorrect measurements

from plans and specifications will lead to construction mistakes (Thomas, 1991). Additionally,

incorrect units and measures during construction will produce defective work. As a result, the

contractors need to reconstruct those construction mistakes which results in taking additional time

to complete the project.

Thomas (1991) emphasized that contractors usually use shortcuts to complete the construction

work due to time and cost constraints. A shortcut can be defined as the path that takes lesser time

to complete compared to the usual path. Shortcuts will, however, eventually produce defective

works which need to be rectified later in the completion stage. This will subsequently delay the

project.

2.4.14 Change orders by clients

According to Ren et al., (2008) the clients in Dubai have absolute power on projects than in other

countries. When the client visits site, he may issue change orders which must be obeyed. On the

other hand, they do not always see the necessity for prompt action with respect to their contractual

obligations.

2.4.15 Financial difficulties of the client

Financial difficulties were identified to be the most influential factors causing construction delays

in construction projects in Malaysia by Alaghbari et al. 2007 and Assaf et al. 1995. This was

supported Fugar et al (2010) who postulated that inability of clients to honour payments on time

was determined by as the major factor that causes construction delays in building construction

projects in Ghana. In the same study, it was noted that clients interviewed were admitting that

their inability to provide the needed funds on time was the most influential factor to construction

16
delays. Failure to pay contractors regularly for work done impedes progress and causes

construction delays (Abd El-Razek et al. 2008). Furthermore, failure to provide adequate funding

resources to contractors will make it impossible for contractors to meet project of objectives

especially completion time (Oglesby, Parker, Howell, 1989).

2.4.16 Late Payment

According to Nichol (2008), late payment is a common problem especially during times of

economic crisis. This is supported by Still (2000) who found that late payment is a major problem

in Western countries. In the study by Odeh and Battaineh (2002), late payment was the second

highest factor contributing to delay, ranked by consultants. Late payment may occur during the

construction process and it is likely to be more severe during delay periods. The owner or client

may use postponement of the project as a reason to delay the payment to the contractor.

2.4.17 Bad weather conditions

Bad weather conditions are natural events which cannot be controlled by the parties. In Ghana,

(Fugar et al 2010), the climate is tropical with wet and dry seasons. During the rainy season

construction works especially outdoor activities are disrupted due to high temperatures and

relatively high humidity. High temperatures and high humidity certainly affect the productivity of

construction workers as a result of dullness of their senses, poor coordination and discomfort from

body heat (Frimpong, Oluwoye, and Crawford, 2003).

2.4.18 Insufficient financial resources

A survey by Ubaid (1991) concluded that the contractor‟s financial resources are the major

measures on the contractors‟ performance. According to Kaming et al (1997), one of the most

influential factors causing construction delays on projects in Indonesia was shortage of resources.

In addition, Noulmanee et al (1999) investigated the causes of construction delays in Thailand

and concluded that one of the main causes of construction delays was insufficient resources of an

organisation. Abdul-Rahman et al (2006) addressed that lack of funds may affect the project‟s

17
cash flow and lead to delays on site possession, which consequently causes construction delays in

the project as whole.

2.4.19 Shortage of equipment

Chang et al. (1991) highlighted that the input of tools and equipment used on a construction site

are either provided through direct investment by the contractor or acquired through hiring. Some

contractors may acquire tools and equipment using both methods. The contractor has to plan the

usage of equipment according to the construction work to be carried out during a particular period

of time because equipment obtained through hiring attracts cost during the hiring period. Shree

(2007) stated that the cost of hiring construction equipment has risen by around 30% to 40% in

only a few years. The increasing cost of equipment affects the contractor greatly as they will face

financial difficulty in hiring that equipment. Therefore, the contractor will have to suffer from

tools and equipment shortage which consequently, contributes to construction delays on the

project.

2.4.20 Lost Productivity and Efficiency

According to McDonald and Zack (2004), productivity is the measurement of labour efficiency to

complete the required work. Lost productivity and efficiency of the labourers always occur when

construction delays has happened (Bramble and Callahan, 2000). This occurs due to acceleration

of the schedule and also the pressure to complete the work. In addition, delays caused by

construction mistakes will need rework and this leads to a significant increase in the amount of

work the labourers are required to complete. This directly reduces the productivity and efficiency

of the working labourers.

2.4.21 Poor site management.

Effective and efficient site management by contractors is very important to ensure projects are

completed on time (Choon 2008) and poor coordination contributes to delay from estimated

completion time. Poor site management may occur when contractors do not have enough

18
experience and suffer from a lack of knowledge in managing the project team (Kadir et al., 2005).

However poor site management from the project manager‟s side will affect the whole team and

also the progress of works, resulting in the eventual outcome of project experiencing construction

delays . This view is supported by studies conducted by Augustine and Mangvwat (2001), Arshi

and Sameh (2006), Aibinu and Odenyika (2006) and Ahmed et al. (2003) who concluded that

poor site management is one of the factors that contribute to delay in construction projects.

2.4.22 Acts of God

Dinakar (2014) defined an act of God as a natural occurrence caused directly and exclusively by

natural forces without any human intervention, which could not have been reasonably foreseen,

nor could have been prevented. The author further discussed that, earthquakes, landslides,

tornados, hurricanes, lightning, floods, etc., are all examples of acts of God. These therefore affect

construction progress and further lead to construction delays.

2.5 THE EFFECTS OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

Construction delays are insidious often resulting in time overrun, cost overrun, disputes,

litigation, and complete abandonment of projects (Sambasivan and Soon, 2007). Many projects

are of such a nature that the client will suffer hardships, expenses, or loss of revenue if the work is

delayed beyond the time specified in the contract (Clough, 1986). Then again, construction delays

have cost consequences for the contractor: standby costs of non-productive workers, supervisors,

and equipment, expenses caused by disrupted construction and material delivery schedules and

additional overhead costs (Clough, 1986).

2.5.1 Time Overrun

Murali et al., (2007) argued that both contractor related factors and client related factors such as

inadequate contractor experience and owner interference have impact on time overrun. On the

other hand, Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) studied the effects of construction delays on project

19
delivery in Nigerian construction industry and identified that time overrun was one of the major

effects of construction delays.

2.5.2 Rescheduling

According to Vieira et al. (2003), rescheduling is the change of original schedule of time in order

to respond to disruption and problems which have occurred. In the construction industry,

schedules may be updated in order to monitor the time and work in construction projects (Liu and

Shih, 2009). The importances of schedule updates are as mentioned by Liu and Shih (2009) to

include:

 compare the original schedule with the actual progress of the project;

 identify all delayed activities;

 identify who or what is responsible for delays; and

 forecast and modify projected work progress based on actual progress.

Based on the schedule update, delayed activities can be identified and usually, rescheduling is

required due to the delayed work. Thus, rescheduling is one of the effects of delay in construction

projects.

2.5.3 Cost Overrun

Mohamad (2010) studied the causes and effects of construction delays in government

construction project and identified cost overrun as one of the effects of construction delays in

Malaysia. Regarding cost overrun, Koushki et al., (2005) identified three main causes that were

contractor related problems, material-related problems, and owners financial constraints, whereas

Wiguna and Scott (2005) identified the most critical factors included: high inflation, increased

material price; design change by client; defective design; weather conditions; delayed payment on

contracts and defective construction work.

20
2.5.4 Disputes

Disputes may arise during the construction process amongst the project parties. Lack of

communication on contractual obligations may lead to misunderstandings, conflicts and disputes.

According to Murali et al., (2007) the factors such as lack of communication between the various

parties, problem with neighbours, unforeseen site conditions, delay in payments for completed

work, improper construction methods, delays caused by subcontractors and discrepancies in

contract documents will give rise to disputes between the various parties. Furthermore, if the

disputes cannot be solved amicably or easily it can lead to arbitration or litigation (Mohamad

2010).

2.5.5 Arbitration

According to Sambasivan and Soon, (2007) construction delays which are caused by the client

relate factors and contractor related factors such as change in order, mistakes or discrepancies in

contract document and lack of communication between various parties which may rise the

disputes will be settled through arbitration process. For these circumstances, it is necessitate

having a competent third party that can settle the disputes amicably or easily without going to

court.

2.5.6 Litigation

Based on Murali et al., (2007) when construction delays are caused by client related, contract

related, labor related, external related factors and contract relationship related factors such as

delay in payment for completed works, problems with site conditions and less of labor supply

where eventually rise the disputes to be settled by the litigation process. The parties involved in

the construction projects use litigation as a last alternative to settle the disputes.

2.5.7 Company Reputation

According to Djordjevic and Djukic (2008), company reputation is one of the most important

intangible assets. Ismail et al. (2006) support this statement and add that reputation is built from

21
the overall performance of the company. The reputation of a company is very important because

an adversely affected reputation can become a business threat (Murray, 2003). Strategic planning,

corporate governance and corporate codes of conduct are the top three factors that affect company

reputation according to the study conducted by Ismail et al. (2006). Thus, delay in construction

projects will affect the company reputation indirectly.

2.5.8 Total Abandonment

The most critical adverse effect of construction delays on construction projects is abandonment

that could be temporary or in worse conditions total abandonment. The major causes of

construction delays such as client related, consultant related, contractor related and external

related may lead to project abandonment that will lead to delays in construction projects. Aibinu

and Jagboro (2002) studied the effects of construction delays on project delivery in Nigerian

construction industry and identified total abandonment as one of the major effects of construction

delays.

2.6 STRATEGIC MEASURES TO ENHANCE SUCCESSFUL PROJECT DELIVERY

According to Abedi et al, 2011 the success of construction projects is critically significant for all

project participants especially for clients as well as the country economy and in bigger picture it

affects contributing to country development. Furthermore, they postulated that a construction

project is commonly acknowledged as successful when the aim of the project is achieved in terms

of predetermined objectives that are mainly completed the project on time, within budget and

specified quality in accordance with the specifications and to stakeholders‟ satisfaction. For a

project to be successful; construction delays must be minimized or reduced (Aibinu and Jabgoro

2002). Many researches were conducted from different countries to try and address the problem

of construction delays.

22
2.6.1 Early payment

Haseeb et al 2011 conducted a research and concluded that construction delays were badly

affecting the large construction industries of different countries and it was needed to find

solutions for countering construction delays. Since they identified financial problems as the main

cause of construction delays, they suggested that financial problems should be avoided by making

the payments on time. Their argument was that clients should make timely payments to the

contractor and contractor should make the timely payments to the subcontractors, suppliers and

labor. Furthermore, Koushki et al. (2005) identified: ensuring an adequate source of project

finance as a methods of minimizing construction delays.

2.6.2 Acceleration of site activities

In Nigeria, Aibinu and Jagboro (2002) identified two methods of minimizing delays amongst

which acceleration of site activities was noted out. This was further supported by Wortham (2014)

and he defined acceleration is action taken by the main contractor in order to speed up the

progress of the project to accomplish early completion or to make up for lost time. In addition

Abudul-Rahman et al. (2006) identified it as the procedures taken by the contractor as to the

recovery of construction delays.

2.6.3 Reinforcement of liquidated damages clauses

A contract must be specific in terms of the time required to perform the work. Odeh and Battaineh

(2002) recommend that reinforcement of liquidated damages clauses can minimize construction

delays. According to Viscarello (2006), not all liquidated damages clauses are enforceable. For a

liquidated damages clause to be enforceable, it must satisfy the parties. Because of this,

construction parties tend to delay progress of construction activities, therefore reinforcement of

this clause encourages timely completion of projects.

23
2.6.4 Proper pre-construction planning

A research by Abdelnaser et al., (2005) concluded that in order to avoid delays during

construction stage, the construction parties should make proper planning. Furthermore, Koushki

et al. (2005) identified some of the methods of minimizing construction delays in Kuwait. They

were pointing out that; performance of pre-construction planning, allocation of sufficient time and

finances during the design phase, hiring of independent supervising engineers to monitor progress

of work, ensuring timely delivery of materials and selection of competent and reliable consultants

to carry out the work will minimize the occurrence of construction delays. This was also

supported by Dayang (2009) whom in his researches identified proper project planning and

scheduling as some strategic measures to enhance successful project delivery. In addition,

Aiyetan (2011) added that at the design stage, attention should be paid to adequate briefing,

confirmation of client financial capability, and design quality assurance/constructability reviews

and these will help in minimizing construction delays. More so, Odeh and Battaineh (2002)

recommend that at design stage, project parties should ensure the availability of resources, hiring

a competent project manager and utilization of appropriate construction methods, incentive offer

for early project completion and emphasizing on the availability of resources.

2.6.5 Developing appropriate communication system

Dayang (2009) postulated that developing appropriate communication system linked to all

functional groups will minimise the occurrence of construction delays.

2.6.6 Management during construction.

Dainty et al. (2002) cited Cooke-Davis (2001) who declares that project management competence

represents only one of many criteria upon which project performance is contingent. According to

Ponpeng & Liston (2003), problems such as construction delays, large number of claims and

litigation result to a large extent from not selecting the best contractor to construct the facility.

Quality of management during construction concerns the steps taken to ensure that products are in

24
accordance with the quality standards and measure the effectiveness/competency of consultants

and contractors (Aiyetan 2011). The factors that contribute to quality of management during

construction are forecasted planning data such as analysis of construction methods; analysis of

resource movement to and within site; analysis of work sequencing to achieve and maintain

workflow; monitoring and updating of plans to appropriately reflect work status; responding to,

and recovering from problems or taking advantage of opportunities present; effective coordination

of resources, and the development of appropriate organisational structure to maintain workflow.

2.6.7 Contingency allowance

Contingency sums are allowances of project cost included in the pre-contract estimate for the

purpose of ensuring that the budget set aside is realistic and sufficient to contain the risk of

unforeseen cost increases during construction (Aibinu and Jabgoro 2002). Investigation by these

authors revealed that 5–10% contingency allowance is a common practice in Nigeria. Provision of

adequate contingency sum at the pre-contract stage could buffer the extra financial burden arising

from project uncertainties.

2.6.8 Motivation of staff.

Productivity in the construction industry has been steadily declining (Aiyetan 2011) and labour

efficiency has been cited as poor, resulting in construction delays. Several techniques can be used

to positively influence workers‟ behaviour. Two of these techniques are the behavioural and

economic approaches. The former views motivation from the workers‟ psychological

requirements and the second views it from the economic approach, placing emphasis on monetary

rewards (Andawei, 2002). Motivation variables that could impact on construction time are: pay

and allowances; job security; a sense of belonging and identification with the project team;

recognition of contribution made; opportunity to extend skills and experience through learning;

equitable rewards relative to others‟ input into the project, and the exercise of power and

opportunity for career advancement for future benefit.

25
CHAPTER THREE-RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter aims at presenting the methods or techniques that were employed in conducting this

research. The data collection procedures and analysis techniques are also outlined, with the

justification of the tools and research methods chosen clearly spelt out.

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN

Kish, 1995 defined a research design as a declaration of the object of the investigation and added

that it will show the strategies that will be used for collecting data, analysing the data and

reporting the findings. The research was skewed towards quantitative and qualitative assessment

of construction delays on Zimbabwean construction projects. According to Naoum (2007) a

qualitative research is used to „subjectively‟ evaluate the „opinion‟, „view‟, or the perception of a

respondent towards a particular subject. Qualitative research allows opinions from different

parties in the construction industry to be drawn on the subject matter. According to Thomas

(2003), a quantitative research centres on measurements and amount of characteristics displayed

by the respondents and events in which the researcher studies on. A quantitative research design

gives detailed representation of results through figures, tables, pie charts and percentages. The

research also was an investigative approach on four selected case studies.

3.3 AREA OF STUDY

In a bid to enhance feasibility of the study, the research was confined to Bulawayo and Midlands

provinces. These provinces were selected for the study because there are construction activities

being carried out in these provinces and also time and financial constraints.

3.4 TARGET POPULATION

The targeted population of this research were the professionals and contractors in the construction

industry of Zimbabwe.

26
3.4.1 Sampling Frame

A sample frame is defined as a complete list of all the cases in the population from which sample

is drawn from (Saunders, 1997). The researcher gathered information from clients and property

developers with on-going or recently finished projects. Contractors registered with either

Zimbabwe Building Construction Association (ZBCA) or Construction Industry Federation of

Zimbabwe (CIFOZ) categories A to H were considered for participation in this research. More so,

consultants registered with Institute of Architects Zimbabwe (IAZ), Zimbabwe Institute of

Engineers (ZIE) and Zimbabwe Institute of Quantity Surveyors (ZIQS) were also considered for

this study.

3.4.2 Sampling size

Leedy (2003) refers to sampling as a method of coming up with the actual sample to be used to

gather data. A certain number of participants was drawn from the target population of contractors,

clients and consultants to make up a sample size. The composition of the sample size is as shown

in Table 3.1 below:

27
Table 3.1: Composition of the sample size

Respondents Targted respondents

Quantity Surveyors 5

Architects 5

Engineers 5

Contractors 20

Clients 5

TOTAL 40

3.4.3 Sampling methods

For the purpose of this dissertation non probability sampling methods was used. According to

O‟Leary (2004) non-probability sampling methods are used when there is need to address

something about a discrete phenomenon, (people, places, objects, etc.) or when there is need to

answer the “how” and “why” questions. The researcher makes use of convenience and purposive

sampling methods.

Convenience sampling methods were used to select respondents who are convenient to the

researcher. Respondents who are conveniently accessible geographically were selected. This

enabled the researcher to easily, quickly and economically obtain data from the potential

respondents (Lewis 1997). This method was used in distributing questionnaire to the targeted

population.

Purposive sampling is a theoretical method of getting information from a sample of the

population that one thinks knows most about the subject matter (Walliman 2005). This method

was used to obtain data from the selected case studies.

28
3.5 DATA COLLECTION TOOLS

There are two sources of data collection, and these are primary and secondary sources of data and

the researcher employed both sources to increase validity and reliability of the data in this

research.

3.5.1 Primary Data Sources

Primary data sources come from first-hand knowledge of the person referenced in the data or

from a witness of the phenomenon under study (Shuttleworth, 2008). This is data that is collected

specifically for the purpose of the investigation at hand hence they are precise, current, tailored

and private. Primary data helps provide satisfactory information since secondary data does not

resolve all questions. Data was collected from selected case studies where interviews will be

done, and augmented by questionnaires that were distributed to the rest of the respondents.

3.5.2 Interviews

The researcher used interviews on the subject of construction delays to get information from

construction parties. The interview method of collecting data involves presentation of oral-verbal

stimuli and reply in terms of oral-verbal responses (Kothari, 1985). Interviews were done face to

face with contractors, clients and consultants on four selected case studies. There were cases

where the respondents with necessary information cannot be easily reached, telephone interview

were done. These interviews were taking not more than thirty (30) minutes long.

The researcher employed interviews because they produced a high response rate and reduce

incomplete answers as the respondents were able to give answers and the researcher noting them

down. The interviewer also was able to probe deeper into a response given by the interviewee,

providing a wider depth of information and the respondents were able to give personal views

towards subject matter and ask questions where they need clarity.

29
Semi-structured interviews were used whereby a set of questions were prepared but allowing a

great freedom for the respondent and the researcher for further explanation.

3.5.3 Questionnaires

Survey questionnaires were sent out and distributed to contractors registered with CIFOZ

categories A to H, clients with both on-going and recently finished projects and consultants

registered with ZIE, IAZ, and ZIQS. The questionnaires were sort for the respondents‟

contributions and opinions on the subject matter of construction delays. These were personally

delivered to projects and a few were sent via email in a bid to increase the response rate. The

researcher personally collected the questionnaires from the respondents whereas some were

returned through email. Questions were open and close ended types and standardised to reduce

bias. Spaces were provided for open ended questions whilst close ended questions consisted of

options where respondents were required to choose from the provided options. Respondents

remained anonymous and were therefore free to respond genuinely and honestly. Questionnaires

created a permanent record for the researcher, allowing subsequent reference.

Questionnaires were used for the following reasons

 They reduce bias. The researcher‟s opinions were not influencing the respondent to

answer the question in a certain manner. In other words, there were no verbal clues to

influence the respondent.

 They are less intrusive. The respondent was completing the questionnaire at own spare

time. Thus, the respondent answers the questions properly and accurately because the

instrument was not interrupting much on the respondent‟s‟ daily business.

 They are easy to analyse. Data entry and tabulation for nearly all surveys was done easily.

30
3.5.4 Case studies

The case study method is a very popular form of qualitative analysis and involves a careful and

complete observation of a social unit, be it a person, a family, an institution, a cultural group or

even the entire community (Kothari 1985). Four (4) purposively selected projects, which were

medium and large scale according to Construction Industry Federation of Zimbabwe (CIFOZ),

were included in this study. These projects were consisting of one (1) recently completed housing

project, two on-going projects building projects and another on-going housing project.

3.5.5 Secondary Data Sources

This is ready data, recorded for other purposes but related to the research topic. Evans and

Berman (1990) define secondary data as data that have been gathered for the purposes other than

the current research. Secondary data recorded involves both qualitative and quantitative data.

Literature review and study of documentation available (published and unpublished) were useful

in this research. This enhanced the verification and reliability of methods of data collection,

analysis and recommendation concluded.

The secondary data sources that were employed in this research were:

 textbooks

 peer reviewed journals

 magazines

 news papers

 seminars, conventions and debates

31
3.6 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

Fink (2003) described data analysis as the process of systematic application of statistical and/or

logical techniques to describe, illustrate, condense, recap and evaluate data. Questionnaires were

checked for physical completeness. The researcher then sieves the data, discarding whatever

irrelevant to the study and consolidating important content. The idea was to allow the most

significant observations to emerge from all the data gathered in the field while reducing the

volume of the data. Presentation of the data was done using excel, pie charts, tables and graphs

where necessary and analysis was done using the Relative Importance Indices. The information

obtained from the research survey was also compared with what was obtained in the review of

literature, so as to draw relevant conclusions to the study.

3.7 CONCLUSION

The research design, data analysis plan and the data collection summary was outlined in this

chapter. Suitability, validity and appropriateness of data sources and research instruments to be

used have been exposed. The following chapter will seek to present and analyze the collected data

and information.

32
CHAPTER FOUR- DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter evaluates the findings of the study, the factors that limited the data as well as the

reliability and validity of the data. The general part is composed of the questionnaire response

rates, the composition of respondents and measures put in place to ensure validity and reliability

of information. The second part is the data analysis, in which data was analyzed according to each

research objective.

4.2 GENERAL INFORMATION

4.2.1 Questionnaire response rate

Generally, the reception in the industry was fair. Most of the questionnaires distributed to the

respondents were returned with all the questions fully answered giving a response rate of 79% as

show in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1: Respondents rate

Expected respondents Actual respondents % Response

Quantity Surveyors 5 2 40

Architects 5 4 80

Engineers 5 3 80

Contractors 20 19 95

Clients 5 5 100

TOTAL 40 33 79

Thirty-three (33) out of forty (40) questionnaires were positively responded to, bringing the

response rate of 79% which was significantly enough to give credibility to the findings that are

33
presented and discussed hereafter. In a similar research which was successfully done by Olusegun

and Akintunde (2012), 30 questionnaires were distributed and achieved 73% response rate,

therefore since this research earned 79%, it shows that the results are dependable, valid and

representative of the population.

4.2.2 Interviews response rate

The response rate was 100% which shows willingness on the part of the interviewees to give the

necessary information. The interviewees were willing to be interviewed within the appointed

times which had been set up by the researcher and the interviewees.

Table 4.2 Interview response rate

Organisation Targeted Interviews Achieved Interviewees Percentage Response

Contractor 4 4 100%

Client/Property 4 4 100%

Developer

Civil Engineering 3 3 100%

Architect 4 4 100%

Quantity Surveyor 2 2 100%

Total 17 17 100%

4.2.3 Years of experience of organisations

Respondents were expected to identify their companies and firms they are currently employed at,

registration with construction boards, experience in terms of time and types of projects. The

following graph shows the information of the respondents in their respective construction boards

and their experience in years.

34
 35%

Percentage Respondents 30%

25%

20% CIFOZ (A-H)

15% ZIE
ZIQS
10%
AIZ
5%

0%
<4 Years 4-8 Years 8⁺ Years
Number of years of experience

Fig 4.1 Respondents’ experience in the construction industry

The results shows that most organisations are between 4 and 8 years of experience in the

construction industry implying that the industry is flooded by small scale organisations. Most of

them respondents were found to be participating in both building, housing schemes, civil

engineering construction works. The reason was shortage of construction jobs in Zimbabwe and

most small scale contractors were found participating in jobs which they are incapable of

executing.

The companies‟ experience shows that most of them have a experience in the industry of between

4 and 8 years as shown, with response rate of 51% followed with those with more than 8 years of

experiense and lastly are those with less than 4 years.

4.3 CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

Initially the respondents were required to indicate whether they had ever experienced construction

delays and Fig 4.4 illustrates their responses for experiencing construction delays.

35
 100%
90%
80%
Percentage Responses

70%
60%
50%
40% Experienced delays

30% Did not Experience Delays

20%
10%
0%
Quantity Architects Engineers Contactors
Surveyors
Construction Organisations

Fig 4.2 Responses for experiencing construction delays

The investigation revealed that most respondents had faced construction delays from their

previous projects and construction delays are a common talk in Zimbabwe.

4.3.1 Responsible part to construction delays

In order to find the causes of construction delays, the respondents were asked identify among the

four construction parties namely; client, contractor, consultant and other factors which party was

responsible. The results according to the questionnaire respondents are presented in Fig 4.3

Other factors
Consultant
3%
10%

Main
contractor
26% Client
61%

Fig 4.3 Percentage contribution of construction parties to construction delays

36
The results showed that the client was the most contributing party to construction delays with

61% of respondents supporting the idea. This complied with the studies by Fugar et al (2010),

which revealed that the client was the most responsible part to construction delays. Following the

client was the contractor, 26% of respondents noted the contractor as the second part in causing

construction delays. The consultant had 10% while was other factor in which the case studies

results pointed out as Government actions and local authority policies.

4.3.2 Causes of construction delays

The results obtained from the responses to causes of construction delays are provided in Table

4.3. In total 22 factors were analysed, with the top ten factors contributing to more than 60% of

the causes of construction delays. From the ranking assigned to each cause of construction delays,

the researcher was able to identify the most influential factors of construction delays in

Zimbabwean construction industry.

37
Table 4.3 Questionnaire results of the causes of delays

Causes of construction delays Frequency of severity Rating

1 2 3 4 5 RII RANK

Financial difficulties by the client 1 9 21 0.9290 1

Change order by clients/variations 7 9 4 11 12 0.9097 2

Contractor's financial difficulties 1 4 12 14 0.8516 3

Late payment 4 4 6 17 0.8323 4

Wrong time estimation 9 7 8 7 9 0.7742 5

Overcomitment of construction firms 4 4 4 3 16 0.7484 6

Financial Market instability 2 5 4 9 11 0.7419 7

Contractor's incapability 3 3 5 8 10 0.6839 8

Poor site management 4 3 5 9 9 0.6839 9

Project complexity 3 1 13 10 4 0.6710 10

Coordination problems 1 7 11 6 6 0.6581 11

Insufficient financial resources 2 6 12 5 5 0.6129 12

Loss of productivity 5 3 11 12 0.5935 13

Shortage of equipment 8 6 12 2 3 0.5097 14

Contractual relationship 8 12 11 0.4194 15

General labor strike 14 11 6 0.3484 16

Construction Mistakes and defective work 14 14 3 0.3290 17

Labour shortage 13 18 0.3161 18

Bad weather conditions 16 12 3 0.3161 19

International involvement 15 16 0.3032 20

Acts of God 21 10 0.2645 21

Language barrier 25 6 0.2387 22

38
Based on the ranking, Relative Importance Indices (RII), the top four most important causes of

construction delays as perceived by respondents are discussed. The first ranked was financial

difficulties of the client (RII = 0.9290). The reason behind this was the economic crisis in

Zimbabwe and the world at large. Many investors are not able to secure sufficient funds for

construction project hence they end up delaying construction project because of financial

difficulties

Next to financial difficulties of the client was change order by clients or variations during

construction period (RII = 0.9097) which was ranked the second. Respondents agrees with Long

et.al (2004) who identified client‟s change orders or variations to the scope of contract as the

significant cause of construction delays. This was supported by three (3) interviewees of the four

(4) case studies that clients change orders cause construction delays. They added that variations

are inevitable in the construction due to high technological environment where clients tend to

change their needs rapidly within the project execution process. However change orders mean the

need for the extension of construction time to accommodate the variations and thus delaying the

project time.

Contractor‟s financial difficulties with RII = 0.8516, was ranked the third. This factor was

supported by Assaf and Hejji (2006) indicating that most contractors face challenges in financing

the awarded projects. However this is merely due to misappropriation of the allocated funds from

the clients and contractor‟s lower bidding strategies that expose them to financial insecurities.

Four (4) clients interviewed on case studies indicated that contractors seem to under-price as a

way of securing jobs but however as a result they fail to execute due to financial difficulties and

further lead to construction delays.

39
Late payment (RII = 0.8323) as indicated by most of the contractors was ranked fourth. This

factor was noted in the studies by El-Razek et al, (2008) which stated that delay in issuing of

progress payments by the client to the contractor impacts the viability of a project since most

contractors relies on such payments to finance their projects. Furthermore from the results of the

case studies it was noted that the interviewees were pointing this factor as one of the root causes

of construction delays. The assertion is worthwhile since any hiccup in payment flow to the

contractor by the client critically affects operations onsite.

Wrong time estimation (RII=0.7742), was rated the fifth. This was supported by many contractors

that time estimation at design stage cannot be reliable. They pointed out that many clients

stipulate time expected for the project, whilst it may not be the real time taken on the ground. This

will then be marked as delays, since the contractors may not be able to comply with the stipulated

contract time.

Construction projects in Zimbabwe are rarely delayed by language barriers. Language barriers

was ranked the last of the twenty-two causes of construction delays with (RII=0.2387). This

shows that the construction industry of Zimbabwe is not sensitive to languages like other Asian

countries as mentioned by Ren et al., 2008, that in Saudi Arabia, construction projects were being

delayed due to language barriers. This is because Most of the project participants prefer to speak

and write in their own language without employing qualified interpreters. This affects

communication which further leads to delay in progress of the project. However, in Zimbabwe

English is used as one common language for all activities and few or no translation is needed

which will then not hinder construction progress.

Acts of God was rated the second least, (RII=0.2645). This was because respondents mentioned

no case of construction delays caused by the Acts of God such as hurricanes, tornadoes,

earthquakes and other natural disasters as it happen with other countries which suffer from theses.

This is because Zimbabwe rarely experiences these disasters.

40
Many Zimbabwean construction activities do not incorporate the involvement of international

parties. International involvement was rated the third from last, (RII=0.3032). Unlike other

countries like UAE, the workforces employed in projects are of mixed nationalities, which bring

different traditions, rules, habits, religions. For example, the religions holidays include holy

Friday for Muslims, Sunday holiday for Christians, and regular holidays and festivals for Indians.

The impact of such a multi-national workforce to construction is significant. Unlike Zimbabwe,

most of the investors are local investors because of the Indigenisation Act which was passed in

2008. Hence construction is delayed by international involvement to a lesser extent.

Shortage of equipment was ranked the fourteenth, (RII=0.5097). This was argued by many

contractors that construction delays are not caused by shortage of equipment, though some clients

stated shortage of equipment as a cause of construction delays in Zimbabwe. This was because

contractors mentioned that they have idle pieces of equipment due to shortage of construction

jobs in Zimbabwe, thus equipment is available for construction. Unlike Libya as studied by

Chang (2006), contractors were delaying projects due to shortage of equipment and the case is

different from that of Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe labour shortage is not a problem to construction activities. Labour shortage was

rated the eighteenth with RII=0.3161. Contrary to the studies of Choon (2008); which postulated

that labour shortage was a problem faced by many countries all over the world, Zimbabwe has a

high unemployment rate according to the respondents. Many companies in UAE as concluded by

Atout et al (2008), suffer from the high turnover of skilled technicians, engineers and labours.

However in Zimbabwe these are available and there are no jobs for them to participate in thus

construction delays are not severely caused by labour shortage as it is the case with other

countries.

Figure 4.4 shows the perception about the causes of construction delays as noted from four case

studies.

41
 120

Percentage response 100

80

60

40

20

0
Financial Change Contractors Consultant's Project Slow Late
difficulties orders financial late approval complexity decision payment
of the client difficulties of making
documents
Causes of construction delays

Fig 4.4 Case study: Percentage response to the causes of construction delays

Deductively, the perception about causes of construction delays in the construction industry of

Zimbabwe is the same that they are mostly caused by financial difficulties of the client. 100%

responses from the case studies confirmed the same. They added that it was the economic crisis in

Zimbabwe and many investors are failing to secure sufficient funds for construction project hence

they ended up delaying construction project because of financial difficulties.

Most clients seem to be ignorant of the implications of too many change orders projects. Change

orders by clients was supported to be one of the main causes of construction delays by 75% of the

respondents to case studies. Having too many change orders and at the same time having financial

difficulties will add an extra financial burden upon the client which will latter lead to construction

delays. Financial difficulties of the contractor was also noted to be one of the causes of

construction delays.

Other causes of construction delays were noted which also contribute much to construction delays

and these were:

42
  Consultant‟s late approval of document

 Project complexity

 Slow decision making process by the client and his team

 Late payment to the contractor

4.3.3 Effects of construction delays

The effects of project delays were rated in relation with the severity of each effect to the project

operations. Fig 4.7 shows the effects of construction delays to construction project and their

respective rates of impacts to construction projects.

Late delievery of services 90.2%

Affected company reputation 83.3%

Effects of construction delays

Litigation 65.4%

Arbitration 64.6%

Disputes 66.9%

Bad contractual relationship 88.5%

Project suspension 96.7%

Rescheduling 77.4%

Cost overrun 97.4%

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% 120.0%

Percentage response

Fig 4.5 Ranking of the effects of construction delays

Cost overrun, (RII =0.967) was ranked highly by the respondents. This alone has proven that

construction delays on a project can lead to cost overrun in Zimbabwe. This is possibly because

when the budgeted cost of the project is exceeded the burden lies with the client and might end up

43
taking longer than normal trying to source extra funds for the project therefore delaying the

completion dates and latter suspends the project as is the case with many projects in Zimbabwe.

Again contractors also contribute much to cost overrun since their mismanagement of resources

will lead to wastages that have a cost impact. All the ten (10) causes of construction delays

discussed earlier in this chapter directly affect the completion time of the project and cause cost

overrun.

Results from case studies pointed out much on cost overrun as the most experienced effects of

construction delays. Table 4.5 shows how cost was affected by construction delays as given by

four cases. Change orders from clients, construction mistakes and defective work result in cost

overrun, (Sambasivian and Soon, 2006).

44
Table 4.4 Case study: Effects of construction delays on cost

Case Time overrun Budgeted cost Revised cost % cost overrun

(months) US$ US$

Case A 5 3,456,780 4,211,234 9.7%

Case B 6 1,450,500 1,534,230 8.6%

Case C 3 4,567,333 4,995,678 6%

Case D 1 760,525 790,465 4%

The results indicated that as time overrun increases, percentage cost overrun increases also. This

is because extra costs are incurred paying idle machinery and equipment, extra costs of

unproductive labour and contractor‟s time based costs.

In extreme cases, some projects might be totally abandoned (RII = 0.967). Clients and contractors

contribute to the total abandonment of the projects as argued by the consultants, since they are the

major stakeholder for a project as well as the main wheels to project success if they exercise their

duties properly. In Zimbabwe, most public projects were temporarily suspended during the

financial crisis period. Many of these projects have now become so prohibitively expensive that

they are totally abandoned or are now being resumed at a very slow pace, for example, the

construction of a Mortuary at Mpilo Central hospital, Bulawayo, was abandoned since the

government is still crippling due to financial deficit, (Extracts of Management of Zimbabwean

Construction Projects by Public Works Report, 2009).

Late delivery of services was rated as one of the most severe effect of construction delays. This

was supported by mostly clients that the community suffers from late access to services as a result

of construction delays. For example late completion of the Central Library, National University of

45
Science and Technology, (NUST) students find it difficult to study in the library which is not

conducive for a large number of students.

Most consultants argued that construction delays leads to bad contractual relationship. This effect

of construction delays (RII=0.8850) was also supported by the results of case studies. Contractors

pointed that bad contractual relationships are due to communication problems. However bad

contractual relationship also is related to badly affected company reputation (RII=0.8330).

Contractors supported this, citing that when a project is delayed the society pinpoints the

contractor as the main actor to cause construction delays, in which in some cases he may not have

been responsible.

The respondents supported the point that construction delays have negative impacts on project

costs as a result of rescheduling (RII = 0.7740). Love et al, (2000) suggested that when

construction delays have occurred, the project manager has to decide to prescribe for rescheduling

so as to carter for experienced delays.

Whenever there are construction delays, there are disputes (RII = 0.6691) as to who should bear

the responsibility and the cost. All project parties are affected by disputes that arise during the

course of the project. The respondents agrees with Murali et al (2007) that if disputes are not

resolved amicably, they can lead to arbitration (RII=0.6543 or litigation (RII=0.6461). This is

probably because factors such as delay in the payments for completed work, variations,

communication problems between the various parties, and improper site management give rise to

disputes between the various parties.

4.4 STRATEGIC MEASURES TO MINIMISE DELAYS

Respondents have agreed to the prescriptions that have been suggested to reduce construction

delays on projects. The suggested measures were rated in relation to their effectiveness in

46
reducing project delays. Fig 4.8 illustrates the relative importance computation and rankings done

to the delay mitigation measures that could be instituted to curb the problem as perceived by the

respondents. Five strategic measures were rated extremely effective by respondents and for the

sake of this research, the results are discussed.

47
Table 4.5 Strategic measures to minimize delays

STRATEGIC MEASURE TO
EFFECTIVENESS RATING
MINIMIZE DELAYS

1 2 3 4 5 RII RANK

Provide adequate project finance 1 1 29 0.9806 1

Choosing of competent contractor 1 2 28 0.9742 2

Educate the client on the implications of

variations 1 1 4 25 0.9419 3

Proper preconstruction planning 2 1 3 25 0.9290 4

Management during construction 1 1 6 1 22 0.8710 5

Development of appropriate

communication system 5 3 22 0.4968 6

Early approval of contract documents 8 8 15 2 0.4968 7

Acceleration of site activities 7 6 15 3 0.4903 8

Reinforcement of liquidated damages

clauses 5 15 5 6 0.4774 9

Motivation of staff 13 5 11 1 1 0.4194 10

Contingency allowance 14 5 10 1 1 0.4065 11

The statistics presented on the Table 4.2 complied very well with the results of the case studies

shown in Fig It has been seen that most respondents agrees with the studies of Koushki et al.

(2005) which identified that ensuring an adequate source of project finance is a methods of

minimizing construction delays. Providing adequate project finances (RII=0.9806) was rated the

most effective method to minimize delays by both contractors and consultants. Their argument

was that clients should make timely payments to the contractor and contractors should make their

48
timely payments to the subcontractors, suppliers and labour. However clients put their argument

that payment in time becomes difficult when contractors keep on over claiming and especially in

an economic setup of Zimbabwe, where cash is limited.

Results from case studies, Fig 4.8 indicated that construction delays can be minimised effectively

by proper pre-construction planning, early payment to the contractor and by educating the client

on the implication of variations.

120

100
Percentage response

80

60

40

20

0
Proper pre- Educate the Early payment to Choose a Proper project Early approval of
construction client on contractor competent management documents
planning implication of contractor
variations
Suggested Measures to minimize delays

Fig 4.6 Case study: Strategic measures to minimize delays

Choosing a competent contractor (RII=0.9742) was rated the second measure which is most

effective in curbing construction delays. Some contractors agreed with the responses from

consultants that most small scale contractors bid for jobs which they are not capable of executing.

The idea tallies with the studies of Sambasivan and Soon, (2006) in Malaysia. Most small scale

49
contractors were winning jobs which they were not capable of completing and end up in

construction delays. In Zimbabwe, because of the bad economic situation small scale contractors

bid for jobs which they are not capable of completing without considering their incapability.

Some of the contractors will not have proper equipment for the jobs they bid for and end up

delaying the jobs trying to hired equipment and subcontracting the jobs.

Most respondents were identifying the clients on the issue of change orders. They rated educating

the client on the implication of variations (RII=0.9419) the third as an effective measure to

minimize construction delays. Their contribution to this idea was to minimise the number of

changes and their negative impact on project performance. Nicholas (2003) recommends a formal

system for change review and control to allow for change definition, schedule and budget impact

assessment. The purpose of the approach is to reduce the number and impact of changes to a

minimum and make sure that all related changed work is authorised and introduced in a controlled

planned manner.

Proper pre-construction planning (RII=9290) rated the fourth by respondents was found to be one

of the most effective ways of curbing construction delays. They stated that most problems faced

during construction period amongst which is construction delays, originate from pre-construction

planning which may not have been effectively done. It was noted from case studies that most

interviewees were stating that proper pre-construction planning will enable the construction

parties minimize construction delays. They were arguing that too many change orders by the

client was because of improper planning during the design stage. Therefore many changes will be

noticed during the implementation stage and these lead to construction delays. Thus proper pre-

construction planning is needful to curb the problem of delays.

It has been seen that some respondents have agreed with Lichtenberg (2005) that management

during construction (RII = 0.938) has a greater impact on minimizing the occurrence of

50
construction delays in the construction. Management during construction means the use of project

management technic. The technic is widely being used by construction practitioners. Project

management is believed to improve project star-ups, development of realistic plans and budgets

and team building which enhances project success. Respondents from case studies also argue that

adequate project financing is equally as important as project management because if there are

timely cash flows for the project that determine the success of a project. Therefore project

management goes hand in hand with proper funding of the project as there is need for

management of allocated fund to each project activity for a project to become viable.

4.5 SUMMARY

From the presentations and analysis of data made in this chapter it has been noted that there ten

(10) main causes of construction delays with which financial difficulties and change orders being

the most severe cause of construction delays. Respondents noted time overrun, cost overrun,

project suspension, bad contractual relationships and badly affected company reputation as the top

five (5) severe effects of construction delays. They also instigated various ways used to combat

the problem of delays. Diversity of backgrounds of the respondents assured effective results and

conclusions as well as recommendations to be made in the next chapter.

51
CHAPTER FIVE RECCOMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSSION

5.1 INTRODUCTION

The previous chapter presented, analysed and interpreted the data collected from the industry. In

this chapter, the highlights of the research are summarized and conclusions are made from the

findings. The main aim of this chapter is to draw conclusions and give recommendations to the

research dealing with research objectives and questions introduce in chapter one. The study

objective was to investigate the causes and effects of construction delays and strategic measures

that can be taken to minimize their occurrence on Zimbabwean construction projects. Having

collected data from the field and analysed it in the previous chapter, the researcher is now able to

conclude and give recommendation on the research subject.

5.2 CONCLUSIONS

5.2.1 Causes of construction delays

It can be concluded that construction delays happen in the construction industry of Zimbabwe

and, the client and the contractor to the project are the main actors in causing construction delays.

The main causes of construction delays in Zimbabwe are financial difficulties of the client;

change orders from the client/variations; contractor‟s financial difficulties; late payment and

wrong time estimation. Construction delays are rarely causes or never occur in Zimbabwe because

of acts of God (because it is rare to experience hurricanes and earthquakes); international

involvement and language barrier.

52
5.2.2 Effects of construction delays

Construction delay is a very serious problem in the construction industry of Zimbabwe which

results into five main effects upon a project namely; time and cost overruns; badly affected

company reputation; bad contractual relationships and project suspension amongst others.

5.2.3 Suggested measures to minimize construction delays

Even though construction delays re inevitable on construction projects in Zimbabwe, this study

unveils strategic measures to minimize them. It was found that the most effective measure to

minimize construction delays in Zimbabwe is honouring project finance/early payment to the

contractor, .

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

To minimize the occurrence of construction delays on Zimbabwean construction projects, the

following recommendations are given:

 clients must make earlier timely payments to the contractor; however this is achievable if

the client; exercises proper pre-construction planning, ensure that funds are available or

adequate arrangements for funds are made before projects are started. The long and

bureaucratic processes involved in honouring payments to contractors in Zimbabwe must

be shortened for efficiency and contractors‟ payments must be honoured as and when they

are due in strict compliance with the provisions of the contract.

 the procurement team must choose a competent contractor who is capable of completing

the project on time. While selecting the contractors, the procurement team have to make

sure that the contractors are not selected based only up on the lowest bid. The selected

53
 contractor must have sufficient experience, technical capability, financial capability, and

sufficient manpower to execute the project.

 Contractors should not take up the jobs in which they do not have sufficient expertise.

Contractors should have ability to manage site activities for the smooth execution of work,

plan their work properly and provide the entire schedule to the clients, and make sure that

they have a sound financial backing.

5.4 AREA FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Since the subject of construction delays is a broad research area, a further research can be carried

out so as to analyse the contractor‟s perception on construction delays. An interesting research

can be focused on the analysis of the contractor‟s perception on the causes of construction delays.

The researcher found this interesting since construction parties blame one another on the causes of

construction delays. Again construction delays were found to be involving all construction

parties; hence perception of each part will be interesting to research on.

54
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APPENDICES

Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………….. 47

Appendix B………………………………………………………………………………….. 56

61
APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE

SECTION A: GENERAL INFORMATION

Please fill in the blanks and tick [√] in the options as provided

1. Type of organisation
Contractor Client Consultant Other

Specify (Other)………………..……………………………………….……………………

2. Is the company registered with the construction board CIFOZ?

Yes No

3. If YES, in which category of the above construction board does the company fall in?
A B C Other

Specify (for other)…………………………………………………………………..……..

4. How experienced is your company in terms of number of years?

4-8 8⁺
Below 4 years years years

5. What type of projects does the organisation oftenly participate in?

Building Projects Civil Engineering Projects

Housing
Schemes Other

Specify (Other)……………………………………………………………………………….…

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SECTION B: CAUSES OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

1. Has the company ever experienced construction delays in any one of the past projects?
Yes No

2. If YES to Question 1
Which construction part was responsible for the delays?

Main Contractor Client Consultant

Other factors

Specify (other factors)……………………………………………………………………………

a. What were the main causes of construction delays which you experienced?
1………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2……….…………………………………………………….……………………………………..

3……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4……………………………………………………………………………………………………

5……………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. If NO to Question 1
a) What did the project parties do so as to avoid construction delays?
1…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3……………………………………………………………………………………………………

4……………………………………………………………………………………………………

5……………………………………………………………………………………………………

63
 4. The following is a table showing some common causes of construction delays. Please rate the
severity of each of the causes of construction delays in the Zimbabwean construction industry by
putting [√ ] in the empty box on a scale of 1 to 5

(1=Not severe; 2=Slightly Severe; 3=Severe; 4=Very Severe; 5=Extremely Severe).

CAUSES OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS FREQUENCY OF SEVERITY

1 2 3 4 5
Contractors‟ Financial Difficulties

Project complexity
International involvement
Contractual relationship
Coordination Problems
Contractors' incapability

Financial market instability

Over commitment of construction firms

Labour shortage

General labor strikes

Wrong time estimation

Language barrier

Construction Mistakes and Defective Works

Change orders by clients/ variations

Financial difficulties of the client

Bad weather conditions

Insufficient financial resources

Shortage of equipment

Poor site management

Acts of God

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SECTION C: EFFECTS OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

1. Do construction delays have negative effects to projects?

YES NO

2. If YES which of the following project parties is worst affected with the occurrence of
construction delays?
Client Contractor Consultant

All project
parties None

3. What are the most common effects of construction delays?

1…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2……………………………………………………………………………………………………

3…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

5…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

65
 4. Below are some of the effects of construction delays in the construction delays. Please
rate the severity of each of the effects of construction delays in the Zimbabwean
construction industry by putting [√ ] in the empty box on a scale of 1 to 5
(1=Not severe; 2=Slightly Severe; 3=Severe; 4=Very Severe; 5=Extremely Severe).

EFFECTS OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS FREQUENCY OF SEVERITY

1 2 3 4 5
Time Overrun
Rescheduling
Cost Overrun
Bad contractual relationship
Late Payment
Disputes
Arbitration
Litigation
Affected Company Reputation
Lost Productivity and Efficiency
Project suspension

SECTION D: STRATEGIC MEASURES TO MINIMISE DELAYS

1. What strategic measures do you use so as to minimise construction delays and enhance
successful project delivery?
1……………………………………………………………………………………………………

2……………………………………………………………………………………………………

3……………………………………………………………………………………………………

4……………………………………………………………………………………………………

5…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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 2. Below are some of the strategies to minimise the occurrence of construction delays in the
construction industry. If each of these is implemented, please tick against the rating; how
effective are these strategic measures in enhancing project success in terms of time.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
moderate
less effective effective effective most effective extremely effective

STRATEGIES RATING
1 2 3 4 5
Honouring project finance
Acceleration of site activities
Reinforcement of liquidated damages clauses
Proper pre-construction planning
Developing appropriate communication system
Management during construction.
Contingency allowance
Motivation of staff.
Minimize variations

Early approval of contract documents

Choosing a competent contractor

SECTION E: RECCOMMENDATIONS

1. What are your recommendations so as to harness this issue of construction delays and
enhance successful project delivery in terms of time?
1……………………………………………………………………………………

2……………………………………………………………………………………

3……………………………………………………………………………………

4……………………………………………………………………………………

5…………………………………………………………………………………….

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APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

 type of the organisation

 How long the organisation has been operating in construction business?

 type of project the organisation is participate in

 construction parties responsible of these delays

 Main causes of these delays

 budgeted project duration

 Revised project duration

 Any effects of time overrun on cost

 Other effects

 What strategic measures did you take in order to minimise the effects of these

delays?

 What other strategic measures do you suggest to impose so as to enhance

successful project delivery?

68