Failure of Public Building Projects: An Investigation of Abandoned Hospital Projects in Imo State, Nigeria

Failure and abandonment of government projects have been a global phenomenon. The study aims at evaluating factors involved in the abandonment of the proposed hospital building projects in the 27 local government areas in Imo State, Nigeria; with a view to developing a framework that will be used as a guide to revive the abandoned health facilities. Among the specific objectives is to evaluate the factors responsible for the abandonment, compare the performance of the procurement method used for the hospital project with other procurement methods, and to assess the effects of the abandoned hospital projects on the socio-economy and environment of Imo state. The targeted population includes the 4 members of the community government Council (CGC) and the building production professionals in the study area. Field survey research method was adopted for collection of both parametric and non parametric data. Ranking of the factors of abandonment was done using the Relative Importance Index (RII), student t-test and ANOVA were use to carry out tests on differences amongst variables of two and more than two sample populations respectively. Chi-square test was used to ascertain dependency of factors of casual relationships. Findings show that the three most significant factors that could cause the abandonment of the hospital project are; poor project implementation, negative politics practiced by the government, and inadequate structure to ensure continuity of projects. The study also finds that the failure of the abandoned project does not depend on the procurement method used. Again, the condition of contract used on the abandoned hospital project is deficient. Lowering of living standard, lack of trust on the government by the citizenry, and visual defects of the environmental are the three most significant implications of the abandoned hospital projects on the socio-economy and environment of the Imo state are. The study however succeeds in developing a framework which can be used as a guide to revive the abandoned hospital project in Imo state; through integration of structure for developmental continuity from one administration to the other, and independent body of monitoring and implementation responsibilities. It is therefore recommended that the ingredient contained in the frame work be applied in the study area.

Stakeholder identification methods used in private organisations’ projects in Nigeria

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to examine the stakeholder identification (SI) methods used in building projects procured by private corporate organisations in Southwestern Nigeria to draw a correlation between methods used for SI and project performance in the study area, thereby enhancing project performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a census survey to purposively select 30 projects managers (who indicated from a first-stage questionnaire) that they have participated in structured stakeholder management (SM) from a list of 106 project managers and client representatives who have been involved in SM of building projects procured by private corporate organisations between 2008 and 2017 in the study area. A second-stage questionnaire was designed to elicit information from the respondents. The quantitative data that were collected were analysed using mean score (MS) analysis and Analysis of variance (ANOVA).FindingsThe study found that brainstorming in group meetings (MS = 4.33), interviews with the expert (MS = 3.20) and identification by other stakeholders (MS = 3.00) are the most frequently used SI methods in the study area. It was also found that the use of a questionnaire (MS = 0.87), Delphi method (MS = 0.80) and public hearing (MS = 0.57) was rare for SI in the study area. A further result showed that there was no significant difference in the opinion of project managers on 85% of methods used for SI in the study area irrespective of the procurement method employed.Practical implicationsThe study examined the methods project managers used for SI on building projects procured by private corporate organisations to advocate for more robust and all-inclusive SI methods.Originality/valueThe study empirically examined methods used for SI and correlated them to project performance.

Use of Force Account Procurement Method for Development of Small and Medium Contracting Firms in Mbeya

The study investigates on the value of using force account procurement method in development of small and medium contracting firms. To explicitly reveal what is behind the scene three objectives were formulated which were:-to examine the features of force account in procurement undertakings; to determine the value behind force account procurement method in procurement process towards development of SME and; to assess the bottleneck over effective enforcement of force account policy. The target population being (30) contractors, engineers and technicians employed with TANROADs, TARURA, TANESCO, and REA and those self employed (37) in Mbeya. Snow ball sampling technique was used to obtain a total of 67 respondents deduced. The semi-structured intereview and checklists schedules being used to gather the facts then descriptively and through the use of simple frequencies and percentage the reality was revealed:- force accounts involves local contractors by 100% executing contracts defined under force account policy to its end. Moreover force account is 100% local community participation procurement regularities; force account increases competence (70%); experience (66%) and financial capacitating (59%) of local contractors. Furthermore it was revealed that though projects assigned under force account are to be executed by indigenous contractors by 100% but from the field area it was found only 50% to be sustained. This gap of >50% of contracts under force account none executed was revealed to be caused by technical deficiency given the wilks’ lambda, λ<0.9; management incompetence given -X<5.0 and δ2>0.05; cases over (unethical practices reported >60%; financial difficulties >54.7%; and tax burden >60%).

DISPUTE AVOIDANCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PROCUREMENT METHODS: A CONCEPTUAL FOCUS

Disputes are unavoidable in construction projects due to their complex characteristics and involvement of different parties, which can interrupt the smooth construction process. Hence, proper dispute avoidance strategies need to be implemented to avoid disputes beforehand. On the other hand, the previous researchers suggested that there is a link between disputes and procurement methods. Therefore, the current research investigates the disputes in the construction industry from the perspective of different procurement methods. A systematic literature review was carried out to identify the available procurement methods in the construction industry, disputes and dispute avoidance strategies and the features of the procurement methods from the perspective of disputes. Firstly, a total of fifty-two key research papers on the research area were employed to review. The literature findings revealed that the industry has moved towards collaborative approaches from the traditional procurement method with higher dispute frequency because as per the findings the likelihood of disputes seems less in the projects procured under collaboration. It further revealed that the inherent features of collaborative approach such as teamwork, relationships and mutual understanding give less prosper towards disputes. Therefore, the findings of the review conclude that the selection of collaborative procurement method at the early stages of a project can reduce the possibilities of disputes from the perspective of procurement methods.

QUANTIFYING CONTRACTORS’ QUALIFICATIONS USING PAIRWISE COMPARISON IN THE BEST VALUE PROCUREMENT METHOD

Among the critical factors of project success is the proper selection of qualified contractors. More owners are adopting Best Value (BV) procurement which combines the technical qualifications with fee proposals to rank bidders. However, the successful application of BV depends on two integral factors: ranking of contractor’s qualifications using multiple criteria and the weights assigned to each selection criterion. Many criteria are qualitative, leading to difficulties in objectively quantifying a contractor’s rank. Thus, this paper provides owners with a simplified decision-support methodology that quantifies criteria that owners might consider in their decisions, reduces the number of comparisons that owners must perform, and reduces bias in defining criteria weights. This was achieved by first collecting the criteria commonly used to assess contractors’ competence. Then, criteria were analyzed and clustered into separate, quantifiable groups. Third, pairwise comparison was employed to devise a criteria-weighting method based on the clustered groups and determine the scores of bidding contractors. The proposed methodology could help identify the areas of strengths and weaknesses of each contractor in comparison with other bidders. The method presents a scientific and practical approach and, thus, can be considered for future applications.

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND ABANDONMENT

The Nigerian Government is developing infrastructure guided by the United Nations (UN) call for sustainable development. However, uncompleted government infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings, dams and others) projects litter the entire landscape of the country. This research investigates the causes of infrastructure abandonment in Nigeria through literature review and distribution of questionnaire. It also posits possible solutions to the menace of abandoned infrastructure. Findings from the literature review revealed inefficient procurement processes, defective design, cost overrun, and changes in government (election). From 129 questionnaire distributed to Architects, Engineers, Project Managers, Surveyors, Builders and Construction Procurement Personnel in the built environment both in the public and private sectors in Nigeria, 80 responses were received and analysed with SPSS Pearson Correlation Analysis. The findings from the survey showed that inadequate planning, change in government, faulty procurement, corruption and politics are some of the causes of abandonment. “Changing procurement method” ranked highest in the recommendation for addressing the abandoned infrastructure projects followed by designing with deconstructability in mind. Amongst other recommendations are using innovative management tools and refurbishment of abandoned projects. This research is imperative for the revitalisation of abandoned infrastructure environmentally, economically, and socially and the integration of innovative management tools for the future sustainable procurement of infrastructure.

Direct Labour as A Procurement Route for Infrastructure Delivery within Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana

Direct Labour procurement method has been identified as one of several procurement route alternatives used for the delivery of construction projects. This study assessed Direct Labour as a procurement route for the delivery of infrastructure within the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana. A qualitative research approach was employed using in-depth interviews conducted with ten (10) professionals who were purposively sampled from the Works Departments of the Kumasi, Accra and Tema Metropolitan Assemblies in Ghana. The qualitative data was then analysed using content analysis. Direct Labour has been revealed by this study as an effective procurement method which can be employed by the MMDAs in Ghana for the delivery of public infrastructure. The findings of the study also indicate that, the benefits of the Direct Labour procurement route include the elimination of profits to contractors and its idealness for the execution of emergency works. However, Direct Labour as a form of procurement is not used on new MMDA construction projects because the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) of Ghana as Amended in 2016, does not clearly stipulate its usage on new projects. Direct Labour procurement is used within the MMDAs mainly for maintenance works on public projects. The findings of the study would prove useful for policy re-evaluation, especially regarding the reformation of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as Amended in 2016 to include Direct Labour as one of the procurement routes for the delivery of infrastructure. This would enable the MMDAs to adopt it not only for maintenance works, but also for the execution of new infrastructural projects in order to benefit from its numerous advantages.

Ambiguity factors in construction contracts entailing conflicts

PurposeConflicts, claims and disputes are inherent in most construction projects. Acceptable degree of commonality in the interpretation of contract provisions is critical in effective contract administration. This study aims to assess the effects of contract ambiguity factors on construction conflicts, highlighting the causes of divergent interpretations using fuzzy technique for order of preference by the similarity-to-ideal-solution (TOPSIS) method.Design/methodology/approachFuzzy TOPSIS framework with 27 ambiguity factors is constructed by conducting a comprehensive literature review, accompanied by a pilot study. Questionnaire survey is formed, and one-to-one interviews are arranged with 35 contract administration experts.FindingsThe findings indicate that (1) ambiguity due to excessive changes in the bill of quantity (BOQ) (including ambiguous provisions related to BOQ changes), (2) incomplete clauses that do not describe the scope of the intended work purely, (3) ambiguity due to excessive amendments in the scope of works (including ambiguous provisions related to scope changes), (4) ambiguous enforceability including excessive demands and (5) ambiguous goal and performance requirements are the top five ambiguity factors affecting construction conflicts.Research limitations/implicationsPresented framework is performed referring to ambiguity factors in all type of construction contracts in the general sense. However, the identified factors may vary depending on the project type, contract type, procurement method or use of standard contract forms (such as NEC, FIDIC).Originality/valueThe literature lacks the investigation of ambiguity factors in construction contracts, yet the assessment of the effects of contract ambiguity is essential to minimize conflicts.

TUGAS POKOK DAN FUNGSI APOTEKER SEBAGAI PELAKSANA PENGADAAN PERBEKALAN FARMASI DI RUMAH SAKIT

One of the pharmaceutical services in the Hospital Pharmacy Installation is the management of pharmaceutical supplies. At the management stage, the procurement of pharmaceutical supplies greatly affects the availability of drugs in hospitals. Procurement is an activity to realize the planning needs for pharmaceutical supplies. The process of procuring pharmaceutical supplies must ensure availability, quantity, correct time at affordable prices according to quality standards. A pharmacist is in charge of every pharmaceutical supplies activity in the hospital. Therefore an understanding is needed for pharmacists regarding the main duties and functions of pharmacists in the procurement system. This study aims to discuss the main duties and functions of pharmacists in drug management, particularly the procurement of pharmaceutical supplies in hospitals. The research method used is literature study related to the procurement of pharmaceutical supplies in hospitals. The main duties and functions of pharmacists in the pharmaceutical supplies process include selecting the required pharmaceutical supplies, determining suppliers, determining the procurement method to evaluating the procurement process in hospitals.

Project Procurement Method Decision-Making With Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient Under Uncertainty Circumstances

A project procurement method (PPM) defines the roles and responsibilities of the participates involved in the construction project. Selecting a suitable PPM is one of the critical issues to achieve the success of a construction project. The selection of PPM is a typical multi-criteria decision-making problem under uncertainty. Moreover, interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set (IVIFS) is a useful tool for depicting uncertainty of the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. In this paper, the authors consider the PPM selection under IVIFS circumstance. Firstly, they introduce the concept of Spearman rank correlation coefficient (SRCC) between two IVIFSs and then calculate the SRCC between the ideal alternative and each alternative. The ideal option of PPM is determined according to the computed value of SRCC. Overall, the proposed method can avoid the calculation of the criteria weights, and the selection process is simple and straightforward. Finally, a real-world infrastructure project PPM selection has been illustrated the applicability and effectiveness of this methodology.