Evaluation of Project Management Practices in Public Hospital Building Projects in Ogun State

Public hospital building projects are complex, technically specialised, and socially critical infrastructure, and evaluating the project management practices applied to such projects in Ogun State, South West Nigeria, identifies systemic weaknesses requiring professional attention. This study evaluated project management practices in 15 completed and ongoing public hospital building projects in Ogun State, comparing planned versus actual cost, time, and quality outcomes. Data were collected through document review of contract and project management records, and structured interviews with 45 project team members including project managers, consultants, and Ministry of Health officials. Project performance was measured by cost performance index, schedule performance index, and a quality conformance score based on physical inspection. Results showed that all 15 projects experienced schedule overruns, with a mean schedule performance index of 0.61. Cost overruns occurred in 87% of projects, with a mean cost performance index of 0.74. Quality conformance scores averaged 62 out of 100, indicating significant quality shortfalls. The primary management factors associated with poor project performance were inadequate project monitoring (cited in 83% of projects), late material procurement (73%), and inadequate project management skills among government client teams (67%). The study concludes that public hospital project management in Ogun State is systematically deficient and recommends dedicated project management units within the Ministry of Health, staffed by professionally qualified project managers and building professionals.

Keywords: project management, public hospital buildings, cost overrun, schedule overrun, Ogun State