A Review of Construction Program Delivery Attributes: Bibliometric Analysis of Two Decades

Abstract

In scholarly construction management, “program” denotes terminologies like “mega-project” and “infrastructure project”. Within this framework, the Construction Program Delivery (CPD) system is an indispensable mechanism affecting the entire lifecycle of these complex endeavours. The CPD system harmonises an arrangement of crucial delivery attributes to achieve successful outcomes, rendering the elucidation of these attributes a scholarly imperative. Numerous studies have identified multiple attributes that impact delivery strategies in the construction industry. However, only a limited number of studies have focused explicitly on the CPD attributes. Hence, the study aims to explore the main drivers of CPD methods based on a systematic review, including a bibliometric analysis over the current century in existing literature. It also addresses current research trends and gaps in the delivery context concerning mega projects. The two major-step research methodology involves a bibliometric assessment and determining key delivery attributes. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using 639 journal articles focused on CPD. Ultimately, the analysis of the findings and existing knowledge of the CPD literature have revealed that researchers, as well as construction agencies, have emphasised regulatory and technical aspects embedded within a socio-economic context conveying normative and cultural attributes when addressing CPD. These triple aspects of the delivery strategy have been considered by scholars simultaneously for a successful construction program.