Public construction project delivery process in Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong and Sydney

Abstract

PurposeTo perform well in the risky and competitive international construction markets, foreign investors need to fully understand project delivery process in their targeted overseas markets. Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong and Sydney were selected to be studied in this paper. The aim of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of the funding source, organization, regulations, approval process, procurement method, and bid evaluation procedure of public projects in four cities. It also investigated the performance outcomes of public projects in these cities.Design/methodology/approachThe research method was a multi‐city structured questionnaire survey conducted in Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing and Sydney. Data were collected from respondents who have been involved in public construction projects. The data collection methods include email and postal surveys and face‐to‐face interviews.FindingsIt was found that Beijing has the largest market of public construction projects among the four cities, and has the most indistinct and complicated project process. The majority of the public clients in the four cities have on‐going projects, suggesting a good level of construction sophistication. Traditional design‐bid‐build delivery method is the most frequently used in Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. Most of the respondents in Hong Kong, Sydney and Singapore were satisfied with the project quality and service quality. About 60 percent of the project samples in the four cities experienced budget overrun and schedule delay.Originality/valueThe study adds to knowledge by providing information on procurement of public construction projects in four cities. The findings may inform foreign enterprises that are planning to enter these markets on the ways to deal with public construction projects there. Foreign enterprises that plan to venture other parts of the world may consider the factors identified in this study to evaluate the projects there.