Assessment of Factors Influencing the Various Procurement Methods in the Delivery of Commercial Building Projects in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Selecting an appropriate project procurement method is a complex decision-making process. The decision to select the appropriate procurement method to implement a construction project is crucial as it invariably affect project performance and delivery. Procurement of infrastructure project is facing a global challenge with the case of developing nations being of unique interest. This study assesses the factors influencing procurement methods in the delivery of commercial building projects in Abuja, Nigeria. The study considered five (5) procurement methods and nineteen (19) factors relating to the Nigerian Construction industry. The study adopted the quantitative survey research approach and data were collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire administered to 130 respondents of which and 95 were returned. Collected data were analysed using Relative Importance Index (RII). The study revealed that out of the nineteen factors considered, four (4) were found to be very important which are Project Completion at Estimated Cost, Cash flow and Funding Arrangement, Financial Capability of Client and Expected Performance of Project with RII of 0.91, 0.90, 0.89 and 0.80 respectively. While the fifteen (15) others were of less importance with RII ranging from 0.79 (Size of Project) to 0.61(Quality Certification) and a general average RII of 0.76. This study revealed that all factors influencing the procurement methods in commercial project delivery are important, with varying levels of importance where some have higher RII than others. This indicates that these factors seem to determine the procurement method that will be employed for a commercial project.