Closure to “Factors Affecting the Success of a Construction Project” by Albert P. C. Chan, David Scott, and Ada P. L. Chan

In this closure, the original authors of a paper on the development of a conceptual framework on critical success factors (CSFs) (Chan, Scott, and Chan, 2004), reply to a commentary by Acharya and Lee (2005). In the study, seven major journals in the construction field were reviewed for prior works on project success. Five major groups of independent variables were identified: namely project-related factors, project procedures, project management actions, human-related factors, and external environment. In their commentary, Acharya and Lee contended that the study was too narrowly focused on building construction projects and would not be as applicable to other construction settings. The commentary stresses that most of the problems in construction projects emerge from the lack of site investigation, not from the human-related factors, as determined by the Chan, Scott and Chan study. Acharya and Lee also comment that success of construction projects greatly depends on the flexibility of the contractors. In this rebuttal, Chan, Scott, and Chan respond that the CSFs that they identified are indeed relevant to all types of construction projects. However, they do concur that the level of significance of each factor varies among different types of construction projects.