Ranking cost overrun factors in the mega hospital construction projects using Delphi-SWARA method: an Iranian case study

Completing a project according to the anticipated budget is one of the most important criteria in a successful construction project. As mega hospital construction projects face various kinds of limitation which affect the cost dramatically, many developing countries such as Iran have focused in these kinds of projects. Only a few studies have been conducted which are associated with cost overrun factors in hospital construction projects in developing countries. The aim of this study is to identify and rank cost overrun factors in mega hospital construction projects of Iran. Delphi and SWARA methods were used in order to align experts’ opinions in categorizing cost overrun factors and weigh the cost overrun factors, respectively. These factors were then allocated to consultants, employers and contractors. The results illustrated that “Unacceptable quality of work which leads to rework” with score of 0.458, “Not allocating sufficient budget from the government during the project” with score of 0.429 and “Lack of supervisors’ technical knowledge” with score of 0.44 were the most crucial factors in contractors, employers and consultant groups, respectively. The identified factors inform the main literature on hospital projects and results in decreasing cost overruns in the mentioned projects.