Impact of skilled workforce induced delay on project delivery and construction sustainability in Nigeria
List of Authors
  • Chima Onyebuchi Okoro , Shaiful Amiri Mansur

Keyword
  • Sustainable construction, project delay, Skilled workforce, Project delivery

Abstract
  • The construction industries desire for sustainable construction has been largely undermined by the challenges of the skilled workforce to achieve the desired early completion time, with good quality at a reduced price. The issues of project delay have been one of the major concerns to construction practitioners and researcher as it threatens the dream of sustainable construction of the construction industry. The delay in project delivery has been identified by so many scholars at different stages of construction process with varying causes. However less emphasis has been placed on the impact of skilled workforce induced delay on project delivery and its effects on sustainable construction. Therefore, this study is aimed at exposing the impacts of project delay associated to the skilled workforce to the realization of the sustainable construction in Nigeria. This study will be based on literature analysis from reviewed literatures and survey conducted with the help of well-structured questionnaire and scheduled interview amongst the clients, contractors, professional and construction project consultants. 152 questionnaires were systematically distributed amongst the above stakeholders, 138 out of the 152-questionnaire distributed were returned and their responses were presented and analyzed using tables, percentages, charts and relative important index. The study revealed the general impacts of delay associated with skilled workforce are as follows: increased cost of project delivery, dispute/litigation between clients and contractors, time overrun, low profit margin for the contractors, suspension of projects as a result of death caused by site accident, rework due to low quality job as a result of incompetency or mistake from the skilled workforce. The study concluded that one of the major contributory factors of the skilled workforce associated project delay is the poor commitment due to inadequate remuneration incentive and job security and recommended that, the skilled workforce issues that affect their performance should be a top management priority in every construction firm in Nigeria since they constitute an integral parts of the project success.

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