Abstract:
The success and failure of any project depend on its performance. The goal of all
stakeholders’ owners, managers, contractors, engineers, and consultants in both public
and private sectors is to complete projects on time, within budget, with high quality, and
in the safest manner possible. However, several factors frequently affect project
performance. This research aimed to investigate the factors affecting public project
success in selected projects within Adea Berga Wereda. A cross-sectional research
design was employed; using stratified random sampling to select 120 project
implementers (managers, contractors, consultants, and clients) who completed structured
questionnaires at their convenience. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS for
Windows version 28, with descriptive binary analysis conducted using frequencies and
percentages. Additionally, the Relative Importance Index (RII) was calculated. The
findings revealed that key factors affecting project implementation performance include
design changes by owners, owner interference, management neglecting project status
until near completion, prioritization of individual actions over project goals, major
disputes and negotiations, and poor communication among parties. Analysis of the three
selected projects in Adea Berga yielded a Schedule Performance Index (SPI) mean value
of 0.69 and a Cost Performance Index (CPI) value of 0.76, indicating that the projects
are behind schedule and that actual costs exceed the work completed. Therefore, project
managers must better understand the factors influencing project performance to take
appropriate action. Further large-scale research is recommended to identify factors
affecting project performance in both private and public project-holding institutions.
