Why Road Projects Overrun in Resource-Expanding States: The Role of Planning and Monitoring Controls in Guyana
Abstract:
Transport infrastructure continues to present challenges in many developing and resource-expanding economies, where increased public spending has not always translated into improved project outcomes. In the road sector, cost overruns and delays remain common, affecting efficiency and placing pressure on public resources. This study examines whether these challenges in Guyana are primarily linked to funding constraints or weaknesses in project governance. Data were collected from 387 stakeholders, including engineers, contractors, policymakers, and community representatives, and analyzed to assess the influence of project planning and monitoring on cost and schedule performance. The findings indicate that both factors significantly influence project outcomes, with monitoring emerging as the stronger predictor of schedule compliance. Cost escalation and delays were consistently associated with incomplete designs, weak feasibility preparation, and limited implementation oversight. The study concludes that infrastructure underperformance is driven more by governance deficiencies than financial limitations, and that strengthening planning and monitoring systems is critical for improving road project delivery and public investment efficiency.References:
[1]. Aaltonen K, Kujala J. Towards an improved understanding of stakeholder
dynamics. Int J Proj Manag. 2010;28(4):381-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2009.08.002
[2]. Aschauer DA. Is public expenditure productive? J Monet Econ.
1989;23(2):177-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3932(89)90047-0
[3]. Auditor General of Guyana. Report of the Auditor General on the Public
Accounts of Guyana. Georgetown; 2023. https://audit.org.gy
[4]. Banister D, Berechman Y. Transport investment and economic development.
Transp Rev. 2001;21(1):1-24.
[5]. Calderón C, Servén L. Infrastructure and economic development. J Econ
Dev. 2010;35(4):1-30.
[6]. Creswell JW, Plano Clark VL. Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods
Research. Sage Publications; 2018.
[7]. Flyvbjerg B. The Oxford Handbook of Megaproject Management. Oxford:
Oxford University Press; 2017.
[8]. Flyvbjerg B, Holm MKS, Buhl SL. What causes cost overrun in transport
infrastructure projects? Transp Rev. 2004;24(1):3-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144164032000080494
[9]. Government of Guyana. National Budget Estimates. Georgetown; 2023. https://finance.gov.gy
[10]. Hair JF, Black WC, Babin BJ, Anderson RE. Multivariate Data Analysis.
Cengage Learning; 2019.
[11]. International Monetary Fund. Fiscal policy and infrastructure governance
in resource-rich developing countries. Washington, DC; 2019.
[12]. Kerzner H. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning,
Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley; 2017.
[13]. Love PED, Sing CP, Wang X, Edwards DJ. Overruns in transportation
infrastructure projects. Struct Infrastruct Eng. 2015;11(2):141-59.
[14]. Odeck J. Cost overruns in road construction. J Transp Econ Policy.
2014;48(3):353-68.
[15]. Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of
Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). Project Management Institute; 2021.
[16]. Stoker G. Governance as theory: Five propositions. Int Soc Sci J. 1998;50(155):17-28. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2451.00106
[17]. World Bank. Guyana Transport Sector Policy Note. Washington, DC; 2019.
[18]. World Bank. Infrastructure Governance Framework. Washington, DC; 2020.
[19]. World Bank. Improving Public Investment Management. Washington, DC;
2018.
[20]. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Infrastructure
investment and governance in Latin America and the Caribbean. Santiago; 2022. https://www.cepal.org
[21]. United Nations Development Programme. Governance for Sustainable
Development. New York; 2019.
[22]. International Energy Agency. Infrastructure governance and sustainable growth. Paris; 2023. https://www.iea.org
