Abstract:
Nigerian indigenous contractors’ (NICs) inadequate project planning has been an
impediment to the Nigerian economy. Their inadequacy emanates from:
inexperience, incompetence, inappropriate planning techniques application, planning
challenges, inadequate understanding of influencing factors for project planning, and
poor understanding of project planning success indicators. This study investigated
NICs project operational planning in building projects procurement in Nigeria and
established a strategy for NICs project planning. Its objectives: established the level
of NICs involvement in building procurement systems; examined NICs project time
and cost performances in building procurement systems; investigated NICs
application of project planning techniques; identified and evaluated NICs project
planning challenges; identified and evaluated significant factors influencing NICs
project planning and; identified and evaluated contractors’ project planning success
indicators in building projects. The research design is quantitative and qualitative.
The quantitative design employs exploratory and descriptive survey, while the
qualitative design employs collective case studies. The absence of authoritative NICs
sample frame necessitated the use of purposive sampling technique to administer 300
questionnaires to respondents’ in northern Nigeria. The questionnaire administration
attains 59% response rate. Data were analyzed for reliability, significance, and
correlation test, as well as descriptive statistics. Stratified random sampling
technique was used to sample the case study and data analyzed using Bloom’s
hierarchy taxonomy and descriptive statistics. Result reveals that: NICs frequency of
involvement is much lower in the non-traditional procurement systems,
underperformed in project time and cost, and inappropriately applied project
planning techniques; identified project planning challenges are severe; identified
influencing factors are important; and identified contractors’ project planning success
indicators are important. This study recommends: NICs acquire skills for the
management of non-traditional procurement systems and, public and private clients
should patronize the NICs in the execution of non-traditional procurement systems;
NICs should adopt project management techniques; consultants/NICs should conduct
exhaustive brief evaluation, adequate feasibility study and appropriate scope
definition; clients and consultants should adhere to project management procedures;
NICs should apply appropriate planning techniques, employ competent personnel,
embark on continuous training, use the project planning success indicators as a guide
for the management and planning of project operational tasks; form of building
contract used in Nigeria should be reviewed to enforce proficiency in contractors
project planning; and project management courses should be introduce in the training
of construction related discipline in Nigerian institutions. Adherence to these
recommendations will enhance NICs project planning and, facilitate their project
management performance in meeting construction best practice.