Critical Barriers to Traditional Project Progress Measurement: Perspectives of Ghanaian Construction Professionals

Accurate project progress measurement is critical for effective project management. Besides guarantying smooth work progress, it affords project managers the chance to identify early warning signs for peremptory remedial actions to keep the project on schedule and to budget. However, pertinent barriers can suppress the realization of the benefits of an accurate assessment of construction progress. This study aims to identify, examine and prioritize the critical barriers militating against accurate project progress measurement in the Ghanaian construction industry. Sixteen barriers identified from the literature were administered in a questionnaire survey to professionals with tier one construction firms and consultants. Sixty experienced construction professionals practising with tier-one construction firms and consultancy services took part in the survey. The relative importance index technique was used to rank the factors and correlation in responses of the two parties tested by the Mann-Whitney U statistics. The most critical barriers perceived by the professionals were 1) Reliance on Supervisor’s Judgement, 2) Generic and Non-Systematic Approach, 3) Variable Quality of Data and 4) Intricate Measurement Reports. Other highly ranked barriers include 5) Lack of Timely Information, 6) Laborious Data Gathering and 7) Quality Integration Constraint. The findings underpin the need to minimize dependence on subjective opinions and mere experiences of supervisors for assessment of project progress in this age of information technology. Incorporation of a level of automation into traditional progress methods will not only reduce human errors introduced into manually collected data but facilitate visualization of progress reports. Contiguous to a clear specification of the method of progress measurement in the contract document, a system that conveniently integrates How to cite this paper: Danku, J.C., Agyekum, K. and Asare, F.T. (2020) Critical Barriers to Traditional Project Progress Measurement: Perspectives of Ghanaian Construction Professionals. Journal of Building Construction and Planning Research, 8, 119-137. https://doi.org/10.4236/jbcpr.2020.82008 Received: March 13, 2020 Accepted: May 3, 2020 Published: May 6, 2020 Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access


Introduction
Project progress measurement is one of the cardinal indicators of effective project management. A credible measurement of physical progression during construction phase requires that meticulous attention be paid to the method, structure and accuracy of measurements. For any project to be successful, PMI [1] opined the need for accurate and timely feedback. This will not only afford project managers to identify early warning signs for swift remedial actions to keep it on budget and schedule but also assures one of smooth progression. The traditional project measurement techniques include Cost Ratio, Supervisor's Opinion, Units Completed, Time Ratio and Incremental Milestone. The rest are Start-Finish, Weighted/Equivalent Units and Earned Value Analysis [2] [3] [4].
The realization of the full potential of these methods could be impeded by several factors [5] [6] [7]. Laborious data collection and extraction from contract documents, tedious data calculation, time-consuming, costly, inaccurate and non-controlled at real-time are areas of inhibitions of these traditional methods.
This study aims to identify the barriers associated with traditional construction works progress measurement techniques. Identifying and prioritizing obstacles in the progress measurement system will serve as a panacea for isolating bottlenecks with the view to improving the techniques. Realization of accurate assessment of construction progress will boost productivity by accurately mapping the current state of work vis a vis the budgeted resources and scope of the project. The emerging three-dimensional and four-dimensional progress measurement models, which rely on Global Positioning System, Radio Frequency Identification, Laser Detection and Ranging and Video and Audio Technologies to automatically collect and visualize data at real-time have not been considered here. These automated methods are not covered here because their uses are rare in the Ghanaian construction industry due to the high information technology infrastructure requirement. Factors mitigating against precise progress measurement of construction projects or barriers will be identified from relevant literature and in consultation with professionals in the industry. A survey-based research strategy employing a questionnaire data collection instrument will be adopted. The barriers will then be ranked in order of their impact and based upon construction professionals' perceptions on the level of agreement or disa-greement. Correlations of responses will also be tested using statistical Mann-Whitney U test.

Barriers to Project Progress Measurement
There are barriers that stifle accurate assessment of construction project progress.
These barriers impact negatively on the measurement accuracy, assessment time, cost efficiency, real-time data management and process expediency. Identification and curtailing or isolation of the barriers will strengthen the methods towards the successful delivery of project progress. Sixteen factors inhibiting effective traditional project progress measurement have been identified from literature and interaction with construction professionals. These barriers are presented in Table 1. They include 1) "Lack of Timely Information", 2) "Laborious Data Gathering", 3) "Variable Quality of Data", 4) "Fixation on Time Data" and 5) "Fixation on Cost Data". Others consist of 6) "Intricate Measurement Reports", 7) "Reliance on Supervisor's Judgement", 8) "Quality Integration Constraint" 9) "Generic and Non-systematic Approach" and 10) "Deficient Method Statement". The rest comprise 11) "Frequent Variation in Work", 12) "Contentious Claims", 13) "Unrealistic Planning", 14) "Unforeseen Site Conditions", 15) "Extension of Time" and 16) "Delays and Disruptions". These factors are briefly elaborated upon below.

Lack of Timely Information
The traditional methods such as Time Ratio, Incremental Milestone and Start-Finish, cannot facilitate real-time progress measurement. They are time-consuming as data is collected manually through on-site monitoring and extensive as-planned and as-built extractions from drawings, schedules, budgets and field reports [5] [9]. According to Cheung et al. [6], the processes are tedious because they do not lend themselves to automation.

Laborious Data Gathering
The methods rely on a great amount of work undertaken manually therefore liable to human-errors which undermine the quality of the end results. Golparvar-Fard et al. [23] concurred by stating that manually acquired data is flawed because it depends upon field staff's interpretation of measurement modalities in terms of what items to be measured and how they can be measured on construction sites. The manual data collection makes the process arduous and inaccurate as it relies on a lot of calculations [7]. From their study, Davidson and Skibniewski [11] concluded that the performance improvement of automatic data collection over manual falls between 400% to 710%. The excessive amount of work required to be performed may cause human-errors thereby reducing the quality of manually collected data, consequently rendering it ineffective and expensive [13]. There is also the tendency of manual progress assessment being too optimistic due to the human nature of reporting good news.
The process is not automated hence cannot facilitate real-time progress measurement and it is also time-consuming.

Delays and Disruptions
Progress measurement becomes distorted whenever work is interrupted and prolonged reports also delay decision making process.

Variable Quality of Data
The principle of measuring progress premised on harmonizing the varied units installed or billed quantities towards a unique progress technique can impose a strong barrier which inhibits efficiency [15]. The difficulty of integrating the varied units of the subcomponents into a unique progress measuring method affects the quality of the data. Data is expensive to acquire and additional resources are required to convert from one form into applicable and interpretable progress measurement parameter formats. No doubt, Rebolj et al. [16] intimated that current quality data requirements are low therefore requiring a greater amount of time, cost and effort to meet the necessary information threshold.

Fixation on Time Data
According to Mubarak [2], once a project commences, some aspects can suffer deviations such as overspending, schedule slippage, or a marked departure from the scope of the original work. Progress measurement techniques that rely solely on time as the central assessment criterion does so at the expense of the actual quantity of work executed and cost expended. Any lag, pulse, lead or deviation in time schedule, communicates a distorted and inaccurate position of the works progress. Unless the work is carried out on schedule, according to budget and quantity, progress measurement based on time becomes incoherent and unaccepted. In other words, when the project evidently deviates from the budget (over or under) a significant error is introduced into this method.

Fixation on Cost Data
Progress measurement which is centered primarily on only cost assumes that work schedule remains unchanged. This cannot be the case as several factors, including work variations and delays, could alter or affect time. When work is running significantly over or under schedule, inconsistencies and errors are introduced into this progress assessment method. Any extension in time will portray the impression that the work progress is ahead of schedule when cost or budget ratio system is used. Fluctuation in cost can manifest in over or under budgeting, which ultimately bamboozles the work progress assessment technique [2] [15].

Intricate Measurement Reports
According to Golparvar-Fard [8], current progress monitoring reports used in the construction industry are virtually complex. The measurement schedule can be represented in bar graphs, charts, logic diagrams, bubble charts or tables.
Kerner [18], asserted that there are more than 30 visual methods for representing activities. It is therefore difficult to produce a targeted progress measurement technique that satisfies the varied needs of the different players in the industry such as in-house management control meetings, technical interchange meetings, customer summary meetings and program review meetings. Koo and Fischer [31] also introduced the limitation of spatial aspects of construction on current progress reports.

Reliance on Supervisor's Judgement
Current progress measurement methods are non-systematic and subjective, declared Golparvar-Fard et al. [23]. Chin et al. [19] acknowledged that the methods are non-effective because they are based on subjective opinion or judgements and diverse criteria, contingent upon one's understanding, experiences and preferences. Depending on the skills, knowledge, experience and ability, the competence of the resultant progress assessment method will vary.

Quality Integration Constraint
A successful project is one completed on time, cost-effective and executed within the scope of work. A measure of the completed work can be compared to that scheduled [29], just as the current cost of work can be assessed in relation to the budgeted cost. The difficulty, however, is the integration of all three quality parameters, i.e. cost, time and scope of work, into the project progress measurement technique. Golparvar-Fard et al. [23] elucidated this by stating that progress reports do not effectually portray the quality multivariable of time, cost and performance.

Generic and Non-Systematic Approach
It is not mandatory to specify a method for measuring progress in the contract documents [21]. This flexibility translates into non-systematic and varied unstructured methods employed in progress measurement. When no specific progress method has been envisaged and provided for in the as-planned data, vested interests appropriate the system to suit a specific need or constituency.

Unrealistic Planning
Effective progress measurement thrives on accurate and dependable planning data. A measure of progress becomes incongruous if it is not grounded in a solid benchmark. Any laxity in consistent appraisal of project plan and application of control mechanisms affect the progress assessment. As pointed out by Kerzner [18], inadequate formal planning affects the scope of work and in furtherance the progress assessment.

Deficient Method Statement
Work progress can be assessed readily if standards on how to perform work-related tasks or operate a piece of plant are clearly outlined [3]. This then forms the cardinal base on which the work executed will be assessed. Unrealistic or incomprehensible method statement can serve as a barrier to effective progress measurement.

Frequent Variation in Work
Evaluating the degree to which a construction project is tracking to its schedule and budget affords stakeholders appraisal of the progress. Variations result from poor estimation of resources, errors, omissions, price fluctuation and defects [3] [22]. It can have an impact on the progress measurement due to consequential disparities in schedule, cost and scope of work.

Contentious Claims
Disagreements over extension of time or the rates applicable to varied works are common sources of claim contestations as argued by Abdul-Malak et al. [24].
Unresolved disputes imply a hold-up of the payment [26]. Coupled with the ad hoc manner in which non-defined work scope claims are managed and the difficulty in quantifying certain aspects of claims [28], hinder satisfactory incorporation of data on claims into progress reports. There is a need for continual progress of the work in spite of the incidence of the cause of claim. Ultimately, the rate of progress should be assessed to redeem the time lost to inexcusable delays.

Unforeseen Site Conditions
Any on-site progress data collection is susceptible to vagaries of the weather.
There are challenges in taking physical measurement under inclement weather. Unforeseen conditions may arise which require measures that have not been provided for in the contract. It is against this milieu that Yogeswaran et al. [30] advised of stating clear specifications in the contract, addressing severe weather conditions and consequential effects hampering progress. The reliance on manual data collection does not also help this course.

Extension of Time
Any progress measurement data based on time becomes disoriented when project durations are extended. When time is extended with no proportionate cost disbursement, a false impression is created of working ahead of schedule. Mubarak [2] and Yogeswaran et al. [30] stated that time extensions should not automatically lead to additional cost.

Delays and Disruptions
For effective progress monitoring, Kaka [17] admonished that progress reports must not only be accurate but ready on time. Golparvar-Fard et al. [23] on their part, observed that current progress methods involve prolonged description and explanation with the tendency to delay the decision making process. Additionally, delays and interruptions of work on-site affect progress data collection [4].

Research Method
The study was based on a literature review and inputs from construction professionals. Critical barriers militating against the effective use of traditional progress measurements in Ghana were identified and ranked. The descriptive survey approach was adopted, using the questionnaire format [32]. Index technique [34].
The Relative Importance Index was calculated for each factor, based on the relation: where W = Weight assigned to each barrier by the respondents; A = Highest weight (i.e. 5 in this case); N = the total number of respondents (60). Mann-Whitney U-test [35], a non-parametric alternative to the standard t-test, was used to compare differences between the two independent groups (Contractors and Consultants). Table 2 displays the demographic information of the respondents. It shows

Results
The sixteen critical barriers identified, and presented in Table 1, were ranked according to their negative impact on the realization of accurate assessment of construction progress as perceived by construction professionals. The Likert's scale of five ordinal measures from 1 to 5 (strongly disagree to strongly agree) was used to rate these barriers according to contractors' and consultants' level of agreement on their impact on progress measurement. The results of the ranking of the barriers to progress measurement are presented in Table 3. The highest-ranked barrier, having an RII of 98 and a mean score of 4.9, was "Reliance on Supervisor's Judgement". "Generic and Non-systematic Approach" and "Varia- The degree of correlation of the ranking factors (barriers) among the two independent groups of Contractors and Consultants was tested by the Mann-Whitney U test. This non-parametric test uses ordinal data for relatively small samples [35]. Instead of the standard t-test which measures the central tendency by comparing the means, the Mann-Whitney relies on the median (compares the ranks). The results of the Mann-Whitney U test to determine the significant correlation between perceived barriers to progress measurement by contractors and consultants are presented in Table 4 and Table 5. SPSS (Statistical package for social scientists, V 20) was used to produce the tables. From Table 4, it is observed that there is an enormous difference between the Mean Ranks of Journal of Building Construction and Planning Research  Progress measurement becomes distorted whenever work is interrupted and prolonged reports also delay decision making process. When the two groups agree on a barrier to an extent, the difference in their mean Ranks is negligible or very small.
From Table 5

Discussion
Units Completed, Cost Ratio, Time Ratio and Start-Finish are some traditional progress measurement methods employed in the Ghanaian construction industry. The rest include Supervisor's Opinion, Incremental Milestone, Weighted/ Gathering", "Quality Integration Constraint", "Frequent Variation in Work" and "Unrealistic Planning". Apart from "Quality Integration Constraint" where the two groups dissent in rating (low Mann-Whitney U of 135 and marked difference in Mean Ranks of 21.86 and 42.60), there is a reasonable correlation within the rest. The least ranked barriers, all of which had means less than 3, are "Contentious Claims", "Delays and Disruptions" and "Unforeseen Site Conditions".
Contractors and Consultants did not agree completely on the 14 th position of "Contentious Claims" (140 Mann-Whitney U value). Its low ranking by Contrac-tors, in particular, is surprising. "Unforeseen Site Conditions", had an RII of just 52 and Mean score of 2.6 to place bottom of the log. It is abstruse to comprehend why construction professionals lowly perceived inclement weather as a critical barrier.

Conclusion
A prerequisite for holistically addressing an issue or improving upon a system is to identify and isolate any barriers cladding its efficient operation. In light of this, sixteen critical barriers to the realization of accurate construction progress measurement were identified from literature and interaction with construction professionals. They include "Lack of Timely Information", "Laborious Data Gathering", "Variable Quality of Data", "Fixation on Time Data", "Intricate Measurement Reports", "Reliance on Supervisor's Judgement" and "Quality Integration Constraint". "Generic and Non-systematic Approach", "Unrealistic Planning", "Frequent Variation in Work" and "Unforeseen Site Conditions" are some of the Contractual factors. These critical barriers were ranked by the RII technique and "Reliance on Supervisor's Judgement" emerged premium. The next three top-ranked barriers are "Generic and Non-systematic Approach", "Variable Quality of Data" and "Intricate Measurement Reports". Both contractors and consultants collaborated these four peak barriers as evidenced in their high Mann-Whitney U values, coupled with minimal differences in their Mean Ranks. To improve the traditional project progress assessment techniques for effective and productive construction works, particular attention should be focused on these barriers. For example, an automation approach can be introduced to minimize human subjectivity and judgement. There is the need for structured work breakdown to facilitate activity measurement and visualization, in addition to prior specification of any explicit progress measurement method in the contract. Other relevant barriers affecting accurate progress measurement are "Lack of Timely Information", "Laborious Data Gathering", Quality Integration constraint" and "Frequent Variation in Work" ranked from fifth to eighth.
There was congruence in responses of contractors and consultants regarding these barriers except "Lack of timely Information" where there was a great disparity. The least ranked factor is the "Unforeseen Site Conditions". Tied to this are "Contentious Claims" and "Delays and Disruptions", where the professionals perceived them as non-critical barriers to effective project progress measurement. These findings are expected to contribute to the consolidation of construction progress measurement practices through appraisal and addressing of the critical barriers for improved construction industry performance.