Critical success factors for implementing design-build: analysing Malaysian public projects

Purpose The success rate of design-build (D-B) implementation in Malaysia’s private construction projects is low compared to the nation’s public projects. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) for D-B implementation in Malaysian public construction projects. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the research objectives, 111 questionnaire survey responses from construction-related professionals were collected and analysed using multivariate analysis, including t -test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and factor analysis. Findings The results indicate that while the client’s briefing effectiveness remained the top CSF among many nations, the other top CSFs in Malaysia D-B construction projects vastly differed compared to those countries. Moreover, the underlying components for successful D-B projects in Malaysia include the project management team, leader competency and “stakeholder” management. Originality/value This is one of the first studies that identify the CSFs for D-B implementation in the Malaysian construction industry. The outcomes provide a valuable reference and resource for academic scholars and construction practitioners to increase D-B implementation in the Malaysian private sector.