Critical Project Impact Factors for Federal Capital Facility Projects

Abstract

The construction industry is characterized by its fragmented nature, which introduces numerous uncertainties and challenges for project management. Analyzing project impact factors is crucial for federal agencies to mitigate risks, make informed decisions, and ensure successful project outcomes. Although many previous studies explored critical project impact factors for various project types, this paper’s primary objective is to identify and categorize the impact factors critical to projects’ success in federal facilities. Additionally, the study ranked impact factors based on their significance and relevance to project management teams in federal facilities. The study surveyed federal agencies to identify the top-ranking factors within and across categories based on their impact. The research methodology encompassed a thorough literature review, data mapping, survey development, and analysis to identify, classify, and rank impact factors for federal projects. Spearman’s rank-order correlations were computed for correlations between the impact factor categories. The impact factors were ranked based on their relevance and importance for the federal facilities based on frequency distributions of survey results—aligning with the data mapping and correlations exercises. The study’s findings indicate that the top five factors with a maximum negative impact on the federal capital facility project belong to the early project life cycle phases, classified within the Governance and Stakeholders and Planning and Execution categories. The paper’s findings aim to emphasize the optimization of stakeholder engagement and strategic planning to address critical risks for federal capital facilities projects early in the project life cycle—particularly the detailed engineering and procurement stages. The study’s findings contribute to a better understanding of project management in the federal sector and offer beneficial guidance for future project planning and execution.