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Purpose-This paper attempts to study the principal factors that are critical to the success of a construction project in Malaysia, and determine their relative importance as perceived by different respondents. The findings of this study will provide the researcher upto-date information in formulating appropriate strategies to address the challenges brought about by human-related issue. This paper will only discuss the first part of the ongoing research based on the pilot survey carried out. Design/methodology/approach-Following a thorough literature search, a total of thirty-seven factors were consolidated and grouped into seven major categories. These factors were assembled into a questionnaire survey and distributed to clients, consultants and contractors. The respondents represent a wide range of profession which includes those who are involved in design, construction, engineering, project management and quantity surveying. An analysis of the responses identified 15 factors to be accepted as critical to the success of construction projects. Findings-The results suggest a strong consistency in perception between respondents in recognising the significance of humanrelated factors such as competence, commitment, communication and cooperation towards the success of a construction project. These factors being the core element in relationship-based procurement reinforced the need and viability of such procurement method to the Malaysian construction industry. Practical implications-The findings can be used to facilitate the analysis of performance of various procurement systems as well as identifying critical elements crucial to the development of a relationship-based procurement in Malaysia. Originality/value-This paper captures the perception of construction participants regarding the CSFs of construction projects in Malaysia. It fulfils an identified need to study the critical elements vital to the development of a new procurement approach in Malaysia. Type footer information here Type header information here

Construction projects play an important role in the advancement of a nation through infrastructure development that leads to economic growth. They are planned carefully to accomplish certain goals. However, not all the projects achieved the goals as per planned. Many factors contribute to the successes and failures, and it becomes an interesting arena for research. The primary objective of this paper is to outline the development trend of project success measurement globally and locally. The research method employed was to make selected reviews on critical success factors' (CSFs) literature and to compare international standards and progress in incorporating human behavioural aspects of project management to the situation in Malaysia. A somewhat similar pattern can be observed in Malaysia where the studies have departed from the usual criteria of time, cost and quality, to define project success in a more holistic way. However, the domestic industry has failed to respond to the emerging trend globally as there has yet been any widely published research on the importance of human-related factors towards project success. A consolidated framework of CSFs has therefore, been proposed in responding to the findings. This paper fulfils an identified need as there has been a dearth of research on the subject matter locally.