Assessing the Impact of Variation Orders on Construction Projects in Accra Metropolis, Ghana (PDF)

Academic Paper from the year 2021 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Demographics, Urban Management, Planning, , language: English, abstract: The cost of construction projects right from the commencement to the completion has greater importance in the construction industry. Changes, in many different forms, are a major part of the construction. The need to make changes in a construction project is a matter of practical reality. The purpose of this paper seeks to investigate the impact of variation orders on project performance to propose measures to reduce them. For this study, data were collected from relevant literature reviews of scholars and through administering questionnaires.

The findings from the research revealed that changing of plans or scope by architects and clients before and during the construction process causes for the instruction of variation orders; error and omissions in designs presented by the architect contribute to a reduction in the quality of the project. Recommendations suggested, regarding the reduction of variation orders include; clients should provide a specific brief to design teams to enable designers to produce suitable designs. Specifications should be comprehensive enough to assist contractors to deliver the quality that is expected of them by clients.