Assessment of Factors Responsible for the Choice of Contractors’ Prequalification Criteria for Civil Engineering Project: Consultants’ Perspective

It is not uncommon, during contractor selection process, for prequalifier's decisions to be informed by certain parameters. In the light of this, the choice of the criteria to be eventually adopted depends on factors that play complimentary role when the contractor is to be selected. Therefore, this study assesses the factors that determine the choice of contractors' prequalification criteria for civil engineering project. The purpose is to bring the unrecognised factors into limelight by establishing the degree of their relevance on the choice of contractor's prequalification criteria as well as ascertaining their importance to meeting stakeholder's objectives. The objectives include identifying the factors which determine the choice of contractors' prequalification criteria for civil engineering project and assess the importance of the factors to meeting stakeholders' expectation. The study employ well-structured questionnaire distributed to various category of respondents comprising Civil/Structural Engineers, Quantity Surveyors and Architects engaging in civil engineering project. It adopts percentile, mean item score (MIS) and relative importance index (RII) in the analysis of the data derived from the retrieved questionnaire. Result indicates that, apart from Civil/Structural Engineers, employment into civil engineering organizations favours Quantity Surveyors than Architects. Construction of building is paramount among civil engineering organizations with little involvement in railway project. The choice of contractors' prequalification criteria for civil engineering project is dictated by a number of factors with project type emerging the most influential. Importance of the factors touches the client, consultants and contractor. It recommends that Quantity Surveyors should embrace continuous professional development. Factors influencing the choice of contractors' prequalification criteria must be duly considered before taking final decision on the criterion/criteria to adopt in choosing the contractor for civil engineering project prioritizing project type.