IDENTIFICATION OF FACTORS THAT AFFECT PROJECT SCHEDULE IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BOARD (HDB) PROJECTS

Abstract

Construction projects involve multitude of activities which are obliged to be accomplished in an orderly sequence. Construction duration, thus, becomes the essential attribute to project success. Proper usage and conformance to schedule will accredit operations and resources to be managed well and meet the completion deadline of projects and achieving the targeted budget. With the rise in focus on public housing, the public housing authority of Singapore, Housing Development Board (HDB), plans and develops dynamic towns to provide adequate homes and a cohesive community for citizens to live in. The Government has set a target to reduce the waiting time of future owners to 2.5 years instead of the current 3 years. Numerous studies have been done on building projects all around the world, listing the factors that may affect schedule. However, specific factors the affects building projects especially for HDB have not been identified well in the context of Singapore. Thus, this study aims to identify the specific factors that affect HDB projects as compared to other building projects. It will gather the perception of building construction practitioners on the significance of the causes of HDB project schedule. Their opinion is further analyzed through some statistical analyses such as the severity index and Spearman Rank Correlation Test to determine if there is any statistical difference between HDB and Building projects. In order to achieve the viewpoint of the experts, survey was distributed to 115 construction related companies. As a result, 36 responses were received, giving a response rate of 31.3%. Followed-up interviews with 4 practitioners were carried out to gather their apprehension on the results received. The analysis revealed that site management and coordination among parties classified under the Players category portray as the top factors which affect HDB project schedule. Additionally, availability of laborers and management staffs classified under the Resource group also affects HDB project schedule. Consequently, this dissertation sets as the starting point for tackling the factors which affects HDB project schedule in Singapore construction industry. Insufficient sample size gathering experts’ opinion contributed to the limitation.