Optimisation of project performance in post-disaster building reconstruction projects in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Natural catastrophes occur frequently around the world and cause severe undesirable impacts on human lives and properties of the communities. The restoration of a human life style after such massive event, consume some significant time and cost, comparatively to the conventional day-to-day constructions. Recovery and rehabilitation of the affected nature have to be completed at extreme cost and within strict time limitations, in order to achieve the project goals up to highest possible level of satisfaction. Whereas, numerous issues and challenges, affecting the reconstruction projects, leading to failures and inefficient outcomes at the project completion stage. Time, cost and quality parameters will always be the highlighted aspects in the process of determination of project performance level in reconstruction projects. Thus, the lack of strategies to enhance the degree of performance status, is addressed as the research gap of the study. Case study was selected as the most appropriate approach for the study. Six interviews were conducted among Project Engineers and Managers and Client’s Representatives. Further, document reviews also conducted in the case study. Consequently, code-based content analysis was used to capture the substantial factors as well as the probable elements that can be implemented to optimise project performance in post-disaster reconstruction projects in Sri Lanka. Thus, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are suggested. The outcomes of the analysis were able to identify critical issues of post-disaster reconstruction projects in Sri Lanka, and probable attributes which can be implemented for a proper trade-off in time, cost and quality perspectives. The findings would be much effective for developing strategies to implement to achieve the best performance level in reconstruction projects.