ASSESSMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF INDIGENOUS AND EXPATRIATE CONTRACTORS IN EKITI STATE NIGERIA.

Abstract

The research assessed the performance of indigenous and expatriate contractors in Ekiti State, using cost, time and client’s satisfaction measures of project performance with a view to increasing project delivery and also improving the project delivery abilities of both set of contractors. The study employed a case study of selected public construction projects. A total of 50 projects executed by indigenous contractors and 35 projects executed by expatriate contractors within Ekiti State were assessed through the use of a pro forma. Data gathered on the cost and time of these projects was used to determine the cost and time performance of the contractors. Participants involved in the delivery of these construction projects (Client, Consultants and Contractors) formed the secondary population of the study and were administered a structured questionnaire in order to assess the performance of the indigenous and expatriate contractors in terms of client’s satisfaction and also to ascertain the factors influencing the cost, time and client’s satisfaction performance of both sets of contractors. Several analytical tools such as frequency, percentage, mean item score, paired-samples ttest, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test and Crobanch alpha test were used to analyze the data gathered. The study revealed that the major factors influencing the cost performance of indigenous contractors are; delay payment, difficulties in obtaining money from financial institutions and uncertainties in supplies of materials, while that of the expatriate contractors are; unfavourable government policy, fluctuation of prices of material and uncertainties in supplies of materials. The time performance of indigenous contractors is influenced by; unrealistic imposed contract duration, delay payment and access to plant and equipment while that of the expatriate contractors are; unrealistic imposed contract duration, shortage of manpower and unforeseen ground conditions. Client’s satisfaction performance of indigenous contractors is influenced by; tender price, years of experience of the contractor and knowledge of local while that of the expatriate contractors are; financial status of the contractor, years of experience of the contractor and technical skill of the contractor. It was also discovered that the indigenous contractors have a good cost performance with an average percentage deviation of 0.37% of final cost from initial cost while the expatriate contractors are not doing so well with an average percentage deviation of 15.79%. Poor time performance is experienced by both set of contractors as an average percentage deviation of completion time from initial estimated time of 20.65% and 39.95% respectively was discovered. Clients are generally satisfied with the performance of both the indigenous and expatriate contractors, although the satisfaction is more in terms of the project delivery of the expatriate contractors. A gap of 15.42% exists in the cost of jobs executed by the indigenous and expatriate contractors. The expatriate contractor tends to deliver their project more over budget than the indigenous contractors. In terms of time, there is a significant difference in the time performance of the indigenous and expatriate contractors with a gap of 7.5weeks experienced in favour of the indigenous contractors. In terms of client’s satisfaction, clients are more satisfied with the project delivery of the expatriate contractors than that of the indigenous contractors, and this can be attributed to their delivery at the construction stage, their level of safety measures and quality of construction. At the end of the study, recommendations towards increasing the performance of the contractors were made.