IDENTIFICATION OF CONTRACTORS’ NEEDS IN THE SELECTION OF CONSTRUCTION SUBCONTRACTORS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The delivery capability of construction firms is determined to a large extent by the quality of their subcontractors. A survey was therefore undertaken among main contractors to identify and prioritize their needs in the selection of construction subcontractors in Nigeria. Findings were presented from 78 main contractor organizations out of 120 construction firms surveyed in the six geo-political regions of the country. Utilizing the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) approach, pair-wise comparison matrix and other descriptive statistical techniques, the results indicated that the three most important needs are: subcontractors’ past experience in terms of type and size of projects completed; nature of contract to be executed; and prior relationships with the contractor organizations. The study concluded that for an enhanced performance of construction subcontractors on sites, priority attention should be accorded to some of the identified influencing needs by main contractors in this perspective.