Developing a Collaborative Cost Management Framework for Public Sector Projects

Cost overruns on public sector projects in South Africa have persisted despite multiple interventions. Although the prevalence of traditional cost management techniques has been blamed for the challenge's persistence, there are not many studies showing how collaborative cost management techniques can help address this issue in the context of South Africa. The goal of this study was to highlight the value of a collaborative cost management framework for engendering enhanced cost performance of public sector projects. In accordance with the case study research design, information was gathered through a combination of interviews and project-related documentation from five finished and ongoing public sector projects that served as cases. The study's projects and participants were chosen with purposefully. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data. The study's conclusions demonstrated how well public sector projects performed overall and at a lower cost when using the collaborative cost management approach. It was explained there how the framework may serve as a set of guidelines for all project participants to participate in cooperative cost management activities with the sole goal of adding value for the client. Also, the framework’s ability to minimize recognized cost management difficulties was enunciated. It is anticipated that this study's conclusions will lead to the effective cost management on public sector projects.