Development of delay mitigation measures in construction projects: a combined interpretative structural modeling and MICMAC analysis approach

Abstract

Construction delays are recurrent worldwide, regardless of the type of work, and can result in severe impacts, such as time and cost overruns and conflicts. This work aims to present a methodology to develop mitigation measures for the causes of Delays in Construction Projects (DCPs). Prior works have explored strategies to develop these measures but systematically failed to consider that the interrelationships among causes affect the significance of the impact of each cause. The methodology proposed combines the Interpretative Structural Modelling (ISM) and Matrix Cross Impact Matrix Multiplication (MICMAC) analyses approaches and is grounded on the opinions of construction experts collected during Focus Group Interviews (FGI). First, the critical causes of DCPs are identified. Second, the ISM model is built, representing the interrelationships between the causes and their hierarchy. Third, the MICMAC analysis is performed, revealing the strengths of the relationships among the influencing causes. Fourth, mitigation measures are developed to address the root causes identified in the previous steps, but they are designed to target and mitigate other causes, given their hierarchical relationships, driving power, and levels of dependence. Applying this methodology to the Portuguese context revealed 16 critical causes, which were then hierarchized into six levels of influence. Inadequate bidding and contract award processes and deficient communication between parties were deemed root causes, and 23 measures were put forward to mitigate DCPs. Therefore, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by designing an innovative and practitioner-wise methodology to develop mitigation measures in relation to DCPs and revealing some measures for the Portuguese context.

Keywords:

• Construction industry
• delay causes
• interpretive structural modelling
• MICMAC analysis
• mitigation measures
• project management

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the experts for participating in the focus group interviews.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

National funds sponsor this research through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) with references UIDB/00285/2020 and UIDB/04625/2020.

Notes on contributors

Amílcar Arantes

Amílcar Arantes is an Assistant Professor of Operations Research and Supply Chain Management with the Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources Department of the Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, and a researcher at CERIS (Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability research unit). His areas of academic expertise include construction management, project management, logistics and supply chain management, public procurement, and operation management; he has published in journals such as Supply Chain Management: an International Journal, Production Planning and Control, Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management, Journal of the Operational Research Society among others.

Luis Miguel D. F. Ferreira

Luís Miguel D. F. Ferreira is an Assistant Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management with the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of Coimbra. He received his PhD from the Technical University of Lisboa. He participated in several national and European research projects and his research interests include: Purchasing and Supply Chain Management and has published in journals as Supply Chain Management: an International Journal, Journal of Manufacturing Systems, Journal of Cleaner Production, Production Planning and Control among others.