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What do post-disaster reconstruction project success indicators look like? End-user’s perspectives

Shawn Hezron Charles (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Alice Chang-Richards (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand)
Tak Wing Yiu (School of Built Environment, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand)

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment

ISSN: 1759-5908

Article publication date: 29 March 2021

Issue publication date: 7 January 2022

376

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the emergence of new success measures for buildings and infrastructure post-disaster reconstruction projects, beyond the traditional ”iron triangle”, which have gained prominence with the increased involvement of clients and end-users in these projects. Consequently, the industry is obliged to reconsider the critical factors regarding what constitutes a successful outcome from the perspectives of these stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was gathered from end-users in four Caribbean islands using a questionnaire survey on eight empirical success indicators obtained from an extensive systematic literature review. To elicit a ranking and correlations amongst the end-user’ perspectives on the indicators, factor analysis and structural equation modelling techniques (SEM) were conducted.

Findings

The factor analysis found “safety” to be the most important empirical success measure, while “change” ranked the least important. Correlation analysis using SEM identified two new composite indicators, namely, “competence” with delivering timely and quality environmentally friendly and sustainable projects and “adaptability” in ensuring project objectives reflect beneficiaries’ expectations amidst internal and external influences, to be critical of end-users’ measurement indicators that describe their assessment mechanism. Measurement and structural models validated “safety” and “satisfaction” to be the highest loading variables in the two composites, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The research focussed on findings in English language articles; therefore, any claim to a complete list of indicators from the literature can be amiss.

Practical implications

Results confirm the traditional “iron triangle” of time, cost and quality to be limited in assessing reconstruction project outcomes and the views and expectations of the potential beneficiaries need to be factored in the planning, design, execution and post-handover stages in all reconstruction projects.

Originality/value

This paper was very specific in its attempt to investigate new success indicators for reconstruction project outcomes, aiming to assist with developing comprehensive project objectives that resonate with all stakeholder groups.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand, for funding this study as part of a New Zealand Aid Programme (NZAID) scholarship. They also appreciate the respondents’ time and input who diligently participated in this research.

Citation

Charles, S.H., Chang-Richards, A. and Yiu, T.W. (2022), "What do post-disaster reconstruction project success indicators look like? End-user’s perspectives", International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 31-50. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJDRBE-11-2020-0112

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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