A System Dynamics and Network Analysis of the Interactions Between Factors Affecting the Implementation of Integrated Project Delivery in New Zealand

Abstract

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a collaborative approach that unites people, systems, business structures, and practices to reduce waste and enhance sustainability in construction projects. IPD aims to improve schedule, quality, cost, and safety while promoting positive collaboration based on mutual respect and trust. Despite the abundance of literature on IPD, a comprehensive analysis of the interactions between factors and their implementation has yet to be conducted. This study aimed to fill that gap by identifying the interactions between factors that hinder the implementation of IPD through three data collection methods: systematic literature review (SLR), semi-structured interviews (SSI), and a system-wide survey questionnaire. From the literature, 127 factors to IPD were identified, and their interactions were deduced using deductive reasoning. The identified factors and their interactions were structured to identify IPD implementation challenges in New Zealand (NZ) through eighteen experts within the construction industry. For validation, the findings obtained from the experts were triangulated with the wider NZ construction sector. The factors were grouped according to their themes, including Legal, Financial, Technological, Organisational, Collaboration, and Governmental. VOSviewer software was used to identify the most frequently repeated factors in the existing literature, and their interactions were identified through manual coding and visualised using Vensim software. Additionally, NVivo software was used for infographics related to the results. Furthermore, the SPSS software was used for validating the results through identification of the statistically significant interactions; 88 out of 142 interactions passed the t-test through their p-values. Various analysis methods, including degree of centrality, eigenvector centrality, and causal chain analysis, were employed to identify the critical factors and chains influencing the implementation of IPD in NZ. IPD factors specific to NZ were identified to aid in better comprehension of the impact of the identified critical factors. The NZ-specific factors included a lack of factual information about outcomes from IPD, a limited number of contractors and consultants, federal vs local council model policy and governance conflicts, industry opting for traditional models, experienced professionals’ mindset, a history of liquidation of contractors resisting risks, subcontractors taking main contractor roles, and project size. The validated results revealed resistance to change, lack of technology use, lack of IPD awareness, lack of industry standardisation, and client’s resistance to change as the most critical factors. Additionally, through causal chain analysis, the critical chains of factors were identified; the heaviest chains in terms of centrality weightages were deemed critical. Finally, the results were simplified in the form of a framework for easier dissemination of the findings. This research provides valuable insights regarding the interactions between the factors of IPD, which will aid researchers and practitioners in implementing sustainable construction practices in NZ.