Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Procurement Method Selection has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with construction cost overrun. This growing interest reflects the recognition that procurement method selection does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Plateau State.

Plateau State presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While procurement method selection is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on construction cost overrun within Plateau State remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to procurement method selection are helping or hindering construction cost overrun — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Procurement Method Selection on construction cost overrun in Plateau State.
2. To assess the extent to which procurement method selection influences construction cost overrun within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with procurement method selection in relation to construction cost overrun.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing procurement method selection in order to improve construction cost overrun.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of procurement method selection on construction cost overrun in Plateau State?
2. To what extent does procurement method selection influence construction cost overrun within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with procurement method selection in relation to construction cost overrun?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize procurement method selection in order to improve construction cost overrun?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its academic contribution to the field of quantity surveying, this study has practical value for management teams within Plateau State seeking to understand how procurement method selection translates into measurable outcomes around construction cost overrun. It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Plateau State, focusing specifically on how procurement method selection relates to construction cost overrun within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.