The causes of construction delays in Libya and identify possible solutions to avoid or reduce the delay in projects

الملخص

Project delays, particularly in construction projects remain a major problem, with serious implications for the project costs, customer satisfaction, and the overall efficiency of the construction industry. Using mixed research methods and a sample of 10 project managers, consultants, and contractors, drawn from a mid-sized construction company in Libya, this study sought to identify and evaluate the main causes of delays in construction projects in Libya, with a view of developing a framework for preventing and/or mitigating their effects on the projects. The main causes of construction project delays are identified from the review of peer-reviewed studies undertaken elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East, on the basis of which a conceptual framework of how to manage these factors is developed. Data was collected using self-administered, semi-structured questionnaires. The results showed that the most critical causes of delays in construction projects are poor infrastructure, extreme insecurity, lack of access to credit (owner/contractor related financing problems), unrealistic/unreasonable project durations, dysfunctional government and law enforcement systems, inefficient supply chains, excessive government bureaucracy, war/conflict, and the failure to capture the owner’s requirements at the design phase. A tested framework to address these factors is presented.