An empirical analysis of issue management in small building construction projects

Public institutions seek to maintain their built-environment assets by allocating sizable budgets to small construction projects that renovate or expand upon existing facilities. Small building projects can encounter many issues, which must be effectively managed by the project team to avoid negative performance outcomes. Yet relatively little research has investigated issue management within small building projects. This study’s objectives were to quantify the frequency with which various issues arise during the construction phase and to identify the timing of the project team’s corresponding actions to manage each issue. The study’s dataset consisted of 881 small building projects, including 5,236 individual issues that the project teams identified, monitored, and resolved during the construction phase. Results show that the most frequently occurring issues were designer and owner related. Design errors and omissions and unforeseen concealed conditions were typically identified and resolved the earliest in the schedule, whereas contractor-related issues were typically the last to be identified and resolved. Owner scope changes and unforeseeable events required the longest monitoring periods before the resolution was reached. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying the most frequent issues and the timing with which they were identified, resolved, and monitored by the project team.