Causes For Delays In Construction Projects In Kuwait

The paper presents a study based on a research that analyzes and ranks the causes of delays in building and housing type projects undertaken by governmental agencies in Kuwait. The study was based on a survey with the parties involved in these governmental projects. A questionnaire containing 53 delay causes was distributed and the respondents were 23 governmental management and engineering personnel, 17 contractors and 8 designers representing A/E firms. The questions were prepared in which the causes were categorized into eight major groups: I) client administration and organizational, 2) client's site supervision, 3) contractor related, 4) labor related 5) quality related, 6) design related, 7) project management, and 8) contractual related. The factors were measured and ranked under each group by the 'Relative Importance Index' for three parties. The results suggest that delays are attributed to poor project management factors and client's administration and site supervision practices. The paper presents recommendations for a better application of project management techniques and procedures being taken at both conceptual and detailed planning phases of projects.