Construction Projects Delay and Their Antidotes: The Case of Ethiopian Construction Sector

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The Ethiopian construction sector has shown a remarkable growth and is given high prominence. However, several defects are being noted in the sector that need immediate action. The current study was conducted to access the level of techniques and software packages used for project time control; to identify factors affecting delay in construction projects and to recommend possible mitigation measures. The study adopts quantitative and qualitative methods with the help of primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaires on 140 respondents and key informant interviews with ten experienced practitioners in the construction sector. Secondary data was collected through reviewing of related materials. Analysis of the quantitative data was made using SPSS version 20. The study revealed low level application of techniques and software packages for project planning and time control. It also identified top five delay factors. The study suggested that current project planning and time control can be improved by adopting the right tools, assigning the appropriate staff. The study implied that delay factors can be managed by proactive planning on alternative resources, appropriate allocation of resources, application of timely knowledge based decisions, and adoption and application of suitable methodologies and resources at the right place and time coupled with provision of continuous trainings for the staff.