# Cost Overrun Causative Factors in Road Infrastructure Projects: A Frequency and Importance Analysis
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Qualitative Analysis
#### 3.3.1 Qualitative Analysis by Factor
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**ID** & **Category** & **Factors** & **Stakeholders’ Group** & **Relative Frequency** & **Frequency Rank** \\ \hline F\({}_{1}\) & Consultant & Late decision making by consultants & Designer and Consultant & 0.56\% & 33 \\ \cline{2-5} F\({}_{2}\) & Contract & Poor contract management & Contractor & 1.67\% & 22 \\ F\({}_{3}\) & Contract & Unrealistic contract duration & Owner & 4.44\% & 5 \\ \hline F\({}_{4}\) & & Delays of activities & Contractor & 1.11\% & 29 \\ F\({}_{5}\) & Contractor & Inadequate construction methods & Contractor & 1.67\% & 22 \\ F\({}_{6}\) & & Inadequate contract’s experience & Contractor & 2.78\% & 11 \\ F\({}_{7}\) & & Poor site management and supervision & Contractor & 3.33\% & 7 \\ \hline F\({}_{8}\) & & Claims and disputes with stakeholders & External Agent & 1.11\% & 29 \\ F\({}_{9}\) & & Poor communication among stakeholders & External Agent & 2.78\% & 11 \\ F\({}_{10}\) & & Poor coordination among stakeholders & External Agent & 0.56\% & 33 \\ \hline F\({}_{11}\) & Design & Design changes & Designer and Consultant & 4.44\% & 5 \\ F\({}_{12}\) & & Failures in design & Designer and Consultant & 12.78\% & 1 \\ \hline F\({}_{13}\) & Equipment & Shortage of equipment & Supplier and Subcontractor & 0.56\% & 33 \\ \hline F\({}_{14}\) & & Economy issues & External Agent & 2.78\% & 11 \\ F\({}_{5}\) & & Political situation & External Agent & 3.33\% & 7 \\ F\({}_{16}\) & & Unethical activities & External Agent & 1.67\% & 22 \\ F\({}_{17}\) & & Weather & External Agent & 1.11\% & 29 \\ \hline F\({}_{18}\) & & Financial difficulties of contract & Contractor & 2.22\% & 17 \\ F\({}_{19}\) & & Financial difficulties of owner & Owner & 2.78\% & 11 \\ F\({}_{9}\) & & Payment delays to contractor & Owner & 2.22\% & 17 \\ F\({}_{21}\) & & Price variation of materials & External Agent & 6.67\% & 2 \\ \hline F\({}_{22}\) & Laws and regulations & Legal issues & External Agent & 3.33\% & 7 \\ F\({}_{23}\) & & Slow permits by local authorities & External Agent & 0.56\% & 33 \\ \hline F\({}_{24}\) & Materials & Shortage of materials & Supplier and Subcontractor & 1.67\% & 22 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Relative frequency by cost overrun factor. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline
**ID** & **Category** & **Factors** & **Stakeholders’ Group** & **Relative Frequency** & **Frequency Rank** \\ \hline F\({}_{25}\) & & Change orders due to the owner & Owner & \(0.56\%\) & 33 \\ F\({}_{26}\) & & Lack of owner’s management skills & Owner & \(1.67\%\) & 22 \\ F\({}_{27}\) & Owner & Land acquisition & Owner & \(1.67\%\) & 22 \\ F\({}_{28}\) & & Late decision making by owner & Owner & \(2.78\%\) & 11 \\ F\({}_{29}\) & & Scope changes due to the owner & Owner & \(2.22\%\) & 17 \\ \hline F\({}_{30}\) & Personal & Low productivity of labor & Contractor & \(1.11\%\) & 29 \\ F\({}_{31}\) & & Staffing problems & Contractor & \(2.78\%\) & 11 \\ \hline F\({}_{22}\) & Programming and control & Inadequate project planning & Owner & \(5.56\%\) & 3 \\ \hline F\({}_{33}\) & & Inadequate bidding method & Owner & \(3.33\%\) & 7 \\ F\({}_{34}\) & Project & Project characteristics & Owner & \(1.67\%\) & 22 \\ F\({}_{55}\) & & Project scope changes & Owner & \(5.56\%\) & 3 \\ \hline F\({}_{36}\) & & Ground conditions & Designer and Consultant & \(2.22\%\) & 17 \\ F\({}_{37}\) & Site & Poor site investigation & Designer and Consultant & \(2.22\%\) & 17 \\ F\({}_{38}\) & & & Relocation of underground utilities & Designer and Consultant & \(0.56\%\) & 33 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: _Cont._The 'political situation' factor is the seventh most frequently reported. Due to the public nature of road projects, the political situation of a country or region can create favorable environments for the cost overrun occurrence. Situations of insecurity, terrorism, social movements, policy and government changes, bureaucracy, among others, they can compromise the successful project development.