Project Planning In Construction Procurement: The Case of Nigerian Indigenous Contractors

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.