Framework for Managing Integration Challenges of Last Planner System in IMPs

Abstract

International megaprojects (IMPs) have a poor record of budget and schedule overruns. Lean Construction methods and the associated Last Planner System (LPS) have been successfully implemented in many projects, but the application of the LPS in IMPs is limited due to integration challenges and organizational behavior issues inherent in IMPs. Integration herein refers to the interfaces between subprojects in a megaproject. This paper introduces the IMPact framework to address integration challenges. A modified two-round Delphi method was used to identify, verify, and rate integration challenges. Thirty-one challenges were identified. After the development of the framework, the nominal group technique confirmed its internal validity. Finally, external validation was achieved in a focus group study. The measurement system of the proposed framework was tested on a real IMP. The validated framework provided a conceptual practical solution, based in LPS, to address the challenges within and across subprojects. It is intended to be an adaptive roadmap to address these challenges and potentially improve the performance of IMPs.