Assessing the impact of scope creep and local skilled labour constraints on scheduled delays: a case study of the Safari 2 Apartments project, Hodan district, Mogadishu, Somalia.

Abstract

Somalia’s construction projects are suffering major delays. Most construction projects take longer than planned. Therefore, this study assessed the impact of scope creep and local skilled labor constraints on schedule delays in the Safari 2 Apartments Project, a 17-story residential development in Hodan District, Mogadishu, Somalia. This study adopted a single-project case study investigation grounded in project documentation, site observation records, and established schedule analysis techniques. The study found a cumulative schedule overrun of 14.5 months, representing 40% overrun of the original 36-month planned duration. Three causes of delay were identified: scope creep (the addition of two floors beyond the original scope, 38% of the total project delay), workforce transition (a five-month work stoppage caused by a contractual breakdown between the main contractor and Turkish sub-contractor, a 34% of the total project delay), and external factors (comprising Mogadishu’s security challenges and low local construction labor productivity, a 28% of the total project delay. The study suggests that assigning an experienced and competent project management team, workforce training and development, effective project planning and scheduling, proactive risk management, technological integration, stakeholder communication and collaboration and engaging a consulting engineering firm are the corresponding mitigation mechanisms of delay for Somalia’s construction projects.