The effect of scope definition on infrastructure projects : a case in Malawi's public and private implementing agencies

Abstract

This research was carried out to determine the effect of scope definition on public building projects that are implemented by project implementing agencies (PIAs) in Malawi. The research sought to investigate the relationship between the level of scope definition and the corresponding performance of infrastructure projects. The study demonstrated the correlation between the level of project scope definition and the success of infrastructure projects. A project scope definition tool called the ‘project definition rating index’ (PDRI) was used in this research to measure the level of project scope definition. The research concluded that there is a significant direct correlation between scope definition and the corresponding performance of the sampled infrastructure projects in Malawi’s PIAs. Projects that were well-defined tended to exhibit good project performance indicators, while those that were poorly-defined tended to exhibit poor project performance indicators.

Hierdie navorsing is uitgevoer om die effek wat omvang definisie het op openbare bouprojekte wat deur projek uitvoering agentskappe (PIA) in Malawi geïmplementeer word, te bepaal. Die navorsing poog om die verhouding tussen die vlak van omvang definisie en die ooreenstemmende prestasie van infrastruktuur-projekte te ondersoek. Die studie toon verder die korrelasie tussen die vlak van die projek omvang definisie en die sukses van infrastruktuurprojekte. ’n Projek omvang definisie instrument genoem ‘Project Definition Rating Index’ (PDRI) is in hierdie navorsing gebruik om die vlak van die projek omvang definisie te meet. Die navorsing se gevolgtrekking is dat daar ’n beduidende direkte korrelasie tussen omvang definisie en die ooreenstemmende prestasie van die tersaaklike groep infrastruktuurprojekte in die PIA van Malawi is. Projekte wat goed gedefinieer is was geneig om goeie projek prestasie-aanwysers te toon, terwyl diegene wat swak gedefinieer is geneig was om swak projek prestasie-aanwysers te toon.