Identifying manageable scope creep indicators and selecting best practice strategies for construction projects

Many construction projects suffer from changes to the scope of the project during the construction phase. Because the changes ultimately lead to substantial cost overruns and major scheduling delays, scholars and practitioners worldwide are assessing their impact and the critical causes behind them, but are finding it challenging to ameliorate or eliminate them with appropriate strategies. To mitigate the consequences of scope creep, it is beneficial to first identify the critical root causes so that appropriate strategies can later be implemented. The aim of this study is to identify the scope creep indicators (SCIs), then analyze and quantify the impacts of implementing best practices. For this purpose, a structured survey was developed and distributed to qualified professionals involved in construction projects. The research team collected 37 completed surveys, and used appropriate statistical data analysis to obtain the results. The results revealed that communication within owners, the number of oversight entities, and the project�s location are three important factors that lead to scope creep, and that alignment, partnering, front-end planning, material management, and dispute prevention are important to mitigating its cost. The outcomes of this study will assist project managers in identifying potential sources of scope creep early in their projects, and in applying appropriate BPs to minimize their impact throughout the execution of construction projects.