Information Management and the Duration of Construction Projects in Kenya: a Case of Phenom Park, Phase 3, Langata, Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

One of the key sectors in the growth and development of any country is construction which helps a nation in meeting one of the basic needs, which is shelter as well as contributing about ten percent to the nation’s GNP. However, there is a high number of projects that have remained uncompleted as some were approved but the occupation certificates were minimal. This can be attributed to information management among other factors. Thus, this is the reason as to why this study sought to investigate the construction information management effect (systems, quality, use and user) on the duration of construction projects in Phenom Park, Phase 3, Langata, Nairobi County. A descriptive research design was employed for this study. The study targeted all the 32 architects, project managers, engineers in structure, mechanical and electrical, quantity surveyors and contractors (Lead Contractor, mechanical, electrical, landscape) involved in the construction project at Phenom Park, Langata, Nairobi County, Kenya. Since the target population was small, the study employed a census survey and data was collected using a questionnaire. Analysis of data was done with the help of SPSS (Version 25.0). The information collected was coded and entered using SPSS (V.25) and analyzed using both statistics that are descriptive (means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages) and inferential (correlation and regression analysis) so as to get the goals of the research. Data was presented using mainly tables. The study concluded that construction information management system, construction information management quality, construction information management use and construction information management user are statistically significant and thus they influence the overall projects’ duration in Phenom Park, Langata Constituency, Nairobi, Kenya. Thus, the study recommended that there is need for project participants to be encouraged to embrace short turnaround time in responding to requested information. Forward planning should be encouraged in projects; tracking of information and mitigation against delays should be done regularly; and single point responsibility must be encouraged with regards to information management. There is also a necessity to research on the challenges facing implementation of information management in construction as well as knowledge management in construction. It is also crucial to investigate how projects in construction duration are affected by poor planning and management