Towards A Framework for Managing Construction Project Labor Productivity in Kenya.

Abstract

Labor productivity has been held responsible for the success or failure of construction projects in the urban areas in Kenya and beyond. Without standardized metrics for measurement of labor productivity, it becomes difficult or out rightly impossible to estimate the exact cost of a project for both contractors and clients thus leading to escalation of costs, loss in profits, increase in project execution time, stalling of projects and loss of confidence in the construction industry. This research explores the factors affecting construction labor productivity amongst practitioners in Nairobi and on projects within Nairobi. It establishes a definition of the term and evaluates available literature. It then measures through a survey, the effect of information flow on construction Labor Productivity at project level. Five factors are concluded to be critical in project level CLP. The study also provides recommendations on how to manage CLP issues within the industry to increase this productivity.