Exploring contextual issues impacting delivery and performance of public sector construction projects in Tanzania

Purpose Large-scale public sector construction projects in Tanzania face numerous interrelated issues. However, past studies have ignored the contextual environment in which these issues emerge and their intra- and inter-phase interactions. Accordingly, the present study seeks to bridge this gap by addressing three objectives, including identifying and analyzing the various contextual issues, investigating their interrelation and discussing potential management strategies. Design/methodology/approach A two-staged exploratory sequential mixed-method approach was adopted, employing semi-structured interviews followed by questionnaire survey. 45 experts participated in the interviews, while 41 experts participated in the survey. For the qualitative analysis, inductive thematic analysis was adopted to identify key issues and their interrelations. For the quantitative analysis, the issues were ranked using relative importance index (RII). Finally, the findings of the quantitative and qualitative analyses were triangulated to distill the findings into a set of recommendations in the form of a management strategy framework. Findings For both the inception and planning and design phase, the findings revealed that the most important issues were client-related issues that impacted time and finances. For the procurement phase, key issue was concerning the lowest bidder policy. For the execution phase, delayed payments and consequently financial issues were the primary issues. Finally, for the handover phase, late payment along with additional requirements raised by consultants were major issues. In summary, the present study demonstrated that issues emerging at early phases had far-reaching implications on the performance of the projects. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of the present study is the sample size of respondents for the questionnaire survey. However, this limitation was offset by the extensive interviews conducted in the field. Practical implications It is envisioned that the findings of the present study will sensitize public sector construction stakeholders and policymakers to the contemporary issues experienced at various lifecycle phases of the projects. Originality/value The present study identified issues not previously mentioned in the literature and developed a construction lifecycle management strategy framework for addressing the contextual issues.