Important Causes of Delayed Projects in Saudi Arabia vs. PIPS: A University Campus Case Study

13 May Important Causes of Delayed Projects in Saudi Arabia vs. PIPS: A University Campus Case Study

By Majed Alzara, Jacob Kashiwagi, Dean Kashiwagi, Abdulrahman Al-Tassan

March 2016

Abstract
Saudi Arabia has been facing issues with completing construction projects on time and on budget. It has been documented that 70% of public construction projects are delayed. A case study was performed, at a University campus in northern Saudi Arabia, identifying the major causes of project delays. The University was experiencing delays from 50% to 150%. The delay factors were gathered from the University Projects Director. The University delay factors were then compared to delay factors experienced on Saudi construction projects, identified by performing a literature research. The comparison identified nine causes of delays that both studies documented. The study also proposes a solution to minimize the nine major delay factors. A literature research identified one construction management method, the Performance Information Procurement System (PIPS), has documented multiple times its ability to improve project performance and minimize delays. Key Words Project delay, public construction, Saudi Arabia, Best Value, PIPS.