A comprehensive review of critical success factors in building maintenance for Malaysian public housing: a PRISMA analysis and Delphi technique

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to systematically identify, expand and validate the critical success factors for building maintenance (CSFBM) that govern the performance of public housing, addressing critical gaps in existing theoretical frameworks. Design/methodology/approach A two-stage sequential exploratory design was used in this study. Initially, a systematic literature review using the PRISMA protocol analysed 35 articles to establish a theoretical baseline of relevant factors. This was followed by a three-round Delphi technique with industry experts to contextualise, expand and validate these indicators. The process concluded with the application of a Relative Importance Index (RII) to prioritise the findings. Findings The Delphi process produced a practice-validated framework consisting of 49 CSFBMs, organised into eight subthemes: human resource, financial, physical building, organisational, technical, statutory requirements, facility management and building user factors. Although human and financial capital were identified as the most critical, expert consensus highlighted the significance of physical asset degradation and strict legislative compliance, which had previously been underrepresented in operational considerations. Originality/value This study examines the gap between general maintenance theory and public housing practice by validating a comprehensive CSFBM framework. The prioritised factors highlight the significance of coordinated governance and budget optimisation. Additionally, this research extends existing five-factor maintenance models by identifying and empirically validating three additional categories critical to the public housing sector: statutory requirements, facility management and physical building-related factors. The resulting RII-ranked framework supports policymakers and facility managers in allocating limited maintenance budgets more strategically, based on expert validation.