## 6 Discussion  
Figure 2 illustrates that engineering experience (C3), management knowledge (C8), and management accountability (C10) play significant driving roles in developing a qualified contractor, and they form the base of the ISM hierarchy. Therefore, these variables help management increase know-how, develop trust between business associates, and minimize the aversion to change. This also helps in improving personnel qualifications (C4) and engineering ability (C5). Meanwhile, client-contractor relationship (C12) and credit rating (C2) illustrate the significant dependence on other variables for contractors' development. These variables situate close to the top of the hierarchy. A credit rating (C2) for a qualified contractor is enhanced as a result of an excellent reputation.  
Health and safety (C9) are achieved with higher levels of engineering ability (C5) and the project management organization (C7). Raising financial stability (C1), performance and quality (C6), and breach of contract (C11) help management concentrate on increasing the credit rating of the contractor. Credit rating provides better trust, which results in an improved client-contractor relationship (C12). ISM also illustrates that, while searching for a qualified contractor, top management should deploy strategies for sufficient man  
Figure 3: Driving power and dependence power diagram.  
agement knowledge (C8) and management accountability (C10) and raise engineering experience (C3).  
In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of a qualified contractor using the ISM approach. Based on the MICMAC analysis (Figure 3), financial stability (C1), engineering ability (C5), and project management organization (C7) exhibit both feeble dependence and driving power in cluster I. These autonomous variables can mostly be handled independently during the intervention and affect the overall system moderately. However, the inclusion of financial stability (C1) indicates that this variable is important but has few direct linkages throughout the system. Financial stability has notable effects on any intervention's credit rating (C2) and client-contractor relationship (C12), and the variable's location in the influence diagram testifies to its importance.  
The issues of credit rating (C2), performance and quality (C6), health and safety (C9), breach of contract (C11), and client-contractor relationship (C12) in cluster II participate in interrelationships and show strong dependence and weak driving power. They should have lower priorities than the variables on which they depend. Later intervention perks up the organization's performance by forming strong foundations.  
No issue is depicted in cluster III even if the elements are unstable. None of them has both strong dependence and strong driving power, which means that the action of all 12 variables and their feedback do not affect others.  
Engineering experience (C3), management knowledge (C8), and management accountability (C10) are the issues in cluster IV that dominate the bottom portion of the diagram (Figure 2). As indicated by the MICMAC analysis (Figure 3), these independent variables significantly drive the variable above them and affect the system. Early intervention produces a sturdy foundation and boosts contractor performance due to their low dependence and high driving power. For example, management knowledge depends on a few of the other variables but drives personnel qualification, engineering ability, project organization, health and safety, etc.