Re-imagining the Factors Influencing the Choice of Project Management Tools and Techniques in Tanzanian Infrastructure Projects: Elicitation of Practitioners’ Perspectives

Abstract

Construction project Management tools and Techniques (CPMTT) are vital for the success of construction projects. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of studies that examined the factors influencing the choice of CPMTT in developing countries, particularly, Tanzania. The objective of the study was to analyze the factors influencing the choice of CPMTT in Tanzanian public infrastructure projects, with the aim to fill the knowledge gap. The study was descriptive in nature and employed a mixed method approach. Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, data was collected from 60 out of 70 Project management practitioners including Consultants and project Coordinators within Dar-es-salaam Metropolitan Development Projects (DMDP) and similar infrastructure projects. Fifty valid responses were received equivalent to 83% response rate and interviews were done. Quantitative data from respondents was analyzed using IBM SPSS v25. The directed content analysis method was employed for qualitative data from 10 Resident Engineers to supplement the quantitative results. Using factor analysis, four groups of organization support, ease of access and usefulness of tools, fulfilment of project objectives, and project environment and idea generation were determined to influence the choice of CPMTT. Project managers frequently choose tools that are easily accessible without considering the organization's project objectives or resource commitment. The findings could be used as a guide for project practitioners to critically assess the areas of weakness and select CPMTT that can help address those weaknesses and hence improve project delivery in Tanzania, an unexplored context. Project managers are called to re-imagine project needs based on priority and select the CPMTT that satisfies the needs based on experience, skills and project objectives as crucial factors in the selection of CPMTT rather than using their discretion. This would improve the delivery of infrastructure projects and, hence, performance outcomes in the construction sector in Tanzania and other emerging countries. This study was limited to DMDP public infrastructure projects in Tanzania.

Keywords: Construction Project Management Tools and Techniques (CPMTT), Decision analysis, mixed-methods, Tanzania