A Performance Quality Index to Assess Professional Conduct of Contractors at Sustainable Construction Projects in Saudi Arabia

The quality performance of contractors in sustainable construction projects is a major concern for the industry. Over the past decade, studies on measurements, factors, and indicators for assessment of the professional conduct of construction companies are to be found in the sustainable construction management literature. There is adequate evidence over the last decade that an increasing number of construction professionals have adopted the measurement of the professional conduct of contractors as a tool to support their future decisions. The method of the Analytical Hierarchy (AHP) process has been deployed to identify the major factors and sub-factors involved in sustainable construction in Saudi Arabia. Using several governing factors, including quality of document submittals (QDS), quality system implementation (QSI), and quality of construction works (QCW), a working framework was developed by using the pair-wise comparison method. The results show that proper accountability and keen consideration of factors that could hinder sustainable construction by contractors contribute to the development of a better perspective on quality issues. After a critical analysis, a Performance Quality Index was developed, and a benchmark value was obtained. The benchmark value of PQI will assist project managers and owners in the sustainable construction sector as a reference for future improvement in the quality performance of contractors.