An investigation into delay factors in building construction projects; case of Hargeisa, Somaliland

Since the construction industry contributes to the development and growth of the country's economy, it is indicated as one of the crucial sectors. However, this industry frequently faces delay problems, which have an impact on the progress of industry-related projects and their performance. Identifying the reasons for the delay in building construction projects can save money also time. It also improves the project's performance and ensures its successful completion. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the reasons for building construction project delays in Hargeisa through an extensive literature review together with pre-questionnaire conducted interviews. A total of 78 delay factors was documented and then classified into eight different groups. Subsequently, a structured questionnaire survey was created and distributed to the contractors, clients, engineers, consultants, and architectures through face-to-face and/or via e-mail. Following that, the acquired data was examined utilizing statistical techniques as well as the relative important index method (RII) to rank the factors based on their significance. The most ten important factors were ineffective project planning and scheduling, inexperienced/unqualified labors, poor site management and supervision, shortage of construction material, late delivery of material to the site, design changes by the owner or his agent during construction, delay in progress payment by the owner, legal disputes and claims between project stakeholders, inaccurate time estimation, and currency/price fluctuation.