Systemic Productivity Constraints in Decentralised Public Building Delivery: Evidence from District-level Projects in Uganda

Abstract

<ns5:p>Background This study evaluates systemic productivity constraints within decentralized public building projects in Uganda, where infrastructure delivery often faces significant delays and cost overruns. The research aims to identifies, ranks, and evaluates these constraints while assessing the level of consensus among different construction professional groups regarding the primary drivers of productivity loss. Method A mixed-methods research design was employed, integrating quantitative data from a survey of 105 construction professionals (including engineers, architects, and project managers) with qualitative insights from site observations and key-informant interviews. Data analysis utilized the Relative Importance Index (RII) to rank 32 identified productivity factors and Spearman’s rank correlation to determine the degree of inter-professional agreement on these rankings. Results The findings reveal that “Delay in payments” (RII = 0.857) is the most critical constraint affecting productivity, followed by “Inadequate site management and supervision” (RII = 0.841) and “Lack of competent staff” (RII = 0.834). High Spearman’s correlation coefficients (ranging from 0.818 to 0.891) indicate a strong consensus across professional groups, suggesting that productivity bottlenecks are systemic and institutional rather than isolated to specific technical disciplines. Conclusion The study concludes that productivity in decentralized project delivery is primarily hindered by cross-cutting administrative and management deficiencies. Addressing these constraints requires streamlined payment certification processes and the strengthening of supervisory capacity at the district level. These results provide a diagnostic framework for policy makers to implement targeted institutional reforms to improve the efficiency of routine public building programs.</ns5:p>