Impacts of Variation Order in the Government Building Projects of Nepal

Abstract

Variation order is the major hurdle in the construction of government building projects in Nepal. This study investigates the impacts of variation order in the government building project of Nepal. For this, using Likert scale, 415 responses were collected from the professionals involved in construction of government buildings in Nepal. Results showed that cost fluctuation, difficulty in project management, complexity to beneficiaries, delay in project progress, difficulty in fixation of new rate, and erosion of professional integrity are the impacts of variation order in government building projects of Nepal. It is recommended that experts should be hired for design and supervision by involving contractors in the design phase. Proper verification of design and documentation should be ensured before soliciting tender. Also, in depth exploration of site condition should be done, and good communication and coordination between stakeholders should be maintained to reduce variation order.