Whitely, Owen (2025) Strategies for reducing cost overruns on government-funded infrastructure projects in Jamaica. DBA thesis, Walden University, USA.
Abstract
Cost overruns involving government-funded infrastructure projects have the potential to lead to adverse economic and social outcomes. Project managers and government administrators are concerned with cost overruns as they often lead to delays, resource misallocation, and decreased public trust. Grounded in the theory of constraints, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies project managers use to reduce cost overruns for government-funded infrastructure projects in Jamaica. Participants were five project managers working on large-scale infrastructure projects with experience effectively mitigating cost overruns in Jamaica. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews, government documents, and public records. Five themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (a) comprehensive planning and risk management, (b) cost control and monitoring systems, (c) stakeholder management and communication, (d) political and administrative challenges, and (e) technology integration and innovation. A key recommendation is for project managers to implement upfront risk identification and regular cost tracking through modern project management tools. Project managers can use these identified strategies for effective planning, ongoing cost monitoring, stakeholder collaboration, political navigation, and technological integration to minimize cost overruns in government-funded infrastructure projects. The implications for positive social change include the potential for project leaders and government decision-makers to improve infrastructure investments' efficiency and sustainability, thereby enhancing public service delivery to local communities.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Macht, Betsy |
| Index terms: | project manager, collaboration, interview, service delivery, cost tracking, monitoring, documents, infrastructure investment, integration, risk management, infrastructure project, Jamaica, theory of constraints, cost overrun, comprehensive planning, risk identification, thematic analysis, strategy, project management, efficiency, stakeholder management, cost control |
| Subjects: | profession, infrastructure and transport systems, participation process, financial and cost management, economic analysis, financial risk, accounting and finance, data collection methods, urban planning, project management theory and practice, organizational analysis, professional development, methods and analysis, service delivery, management, control systems, risk assessment, performance management, Geography |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Risk Management, Quality Management, Procurement, Site Management, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Information Management, Governance, Cost Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Project Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here