The Impact of COVID-19 on Construction Project Performance: A Case Study in Pakistan

Thanks for your comment. So far not a single study is published in Pakistan that describes the approaches on the impact of COVID-19 on the construction sector. Also approaches are not clearly defined in other published studies as well.

However, authors try to strengthen the arguments by incorporating the following changes:

P2 of Introduction, Lines 48-57 have been added to address the comment:

During the initial stages of the pandemic, many countries, including Pakistan, implemented strict lockdown measures to curb the spread of the virus. These lockdowns led to the temporary suspension of construction activities, exacerbating delays and increasing project costs [45]. In major cities, such as Karachi and Lahore, construction sites were shut down, and workers were forced to stay home, leading to significant disruptions in project timelines [45]. The financial impact on contractors and stakeholders was immense, with many facing liquidity issues and delayed payments due to the halt in construction activities [41]. The Pakistani government also imposed travel restrictions, which further impacted the movement of labor and materials, essential for construction projects[46]​.

P1 of 1.1, Lines 93-98 have been added to address the comment.

For example, a study assessing construction projects in Singapore highlighted that the pandemic shifted the prioritized risks from financial issues to labor shortages, underscoring the critical need for adaptive risk management strategies [47]. Similarly, an integrated framework for post-COVID-19 recovery in China emphasized the significance of management and technological innovation in improving construction project performance [48].

As suggested, new references have been added to strengthen the literature review. Here the list of the newly added references:

[45], [46], [47], [48]

Many thanks for highlighting this need. A detailed presentation of the methodological steps performed as suggested has been added now to the manuscript in the form of Figure 1. It was a major improvement, thanks to the insightful comment.

The details of the steps followed for selecting professionals have been added in the manuscript.

P1 of Demographics Respondents lines 218-225 added following:

For selecting participants, purposive sampling was adopted because it was commonly used by many similar studies. A purposive sample is a type of non-probability sample selected based on the specific characteristics of a population and the study's objectives, relying on the researcher's judgment and expertise [52]. Another selection criterion is that all interviewees should have a minimum of 10 years of working experience in the construction industry. It was considered imperative to sample individuals in senior positions because they are the ones who face immediate accountability during crises.

The section 3.1 and 3.2 have been moved to the methodology.

Questionnaire and informed consent form has been added as Appendix-A

Details about the interview instrument have been added and overall paragraph has been improved.

P1 of Development of Instrument Survey 189-199 added following:

After the conduction of preliminary survey and thereby shortlisting of 13 factors, an open-ended question was formulated against each factor to conduct semi-structured interviews. The open-ended questions were pilot tested by construction professionals and researchers to ensure fulfillment of the purpose of study, and some of the questions were rephrased accordingly. This approach was also adopted by Salami et al. [51]. The semi-structured interviews method was preferred because it is a constructive in determining complicated [31] and enables the interviewees to speak in detail on each subject factor as utilized by Sami et al [24]. The open-ended questions were developed in a sequential manner, allowing respondents to correlate to the preceding question(s) and express their justification coherently, so to form the dataset of answers that have been analyzed and discussed in the following section 3.

Thank you for your comments. However, the 13 factors that have been considered in the building of the questionnaire are all listed in Table 1, where they are into four construction themes:

1.      Material and Equipment

2.      Human Resource

3.      Occupational Health and Safety

4.      Financial and Contracts

The considered factors was categorized with the help of literature review, and such factors are those which have been analyzed to assess the impact of the pandemics on construction industry in Pakistan. We have checked the manuscript carefully to avoid any misleading or ambiguous use of the word “factor”.

Thank you for your feedback. The authors think that Table 1 should be situated within the methodology section, as it comprises open-ended questions associated with each factor that are intended for interviews with construction professionals. The results section of the paper commences with the responses provided by the professionals, which is then followed by the discussion. We have made this point clearer in the revised manuscript, by adding lines 198-199:

(…) so to form the dataset of answers that have been analyzed and discussed in the following section 3.

Decimal places are corrected.

The discussion is further strengthened by comparing the implications of the study with the RII.

P1 of Discussion Line 492-495 added following:

The above discourse is also aligned with the high RII score of 4.28 for challenges in importing material and equipment, indicating that firms must focus on diversifying their suppliers and local sourcing strategies to mitigate future risks.

P2 of Discussion Line 506-509 added following:

The findings regarding labor shortage in Pakistan is contrary to other studies (Al-Mhdawi et al. [4]) and to highest score of RII 4.44 for job uncertainty of employees, it is because intensive availability of local labor [42]

P3 of Discussion Line 510-512 added following:

In occupational health & safety, 65% of the projects encountered maintaining construction safety as a real challenge for the progress of their project which is also aligned with highest score of RII 4.12 for effect on construction safety

P4 of Discussion Line 536-541 added following: 

It also noticed that earlier in April 2020, the government opened the Construction sector and given special package which includes amnesty scheme for investors, tax exemptions, diaspora investment incentives and a Rs 36 billion subsidies (for 10 years) under their niche Naya Pakistan Programme [14] , that is why a small number of projects faced funds issues. The RII score of 4.00 for financial market instability is not consistent with information provided by the participants because of the aforementioned reasons.

Thanks for the very useful comment. However, performing a statistical analysis on this data is out of the scope of the paper. Also, there are many factors influencing this direction to devise any meaningful conclusion.

Authors tried to strengthen the discussion by adding the following paragraph in the discussion.

P6 of Discussion Line 558-564 provide discussion about table 2:

Furthermore, the data in Table 2 reveals interesting insights into the COVID-19 attributable delays experienced by various projects. Analyzing the delays, it becomes evident that private sector projects generally faced more significant delays compared to public sector projects. Specifically, building projects in the private sector, such as Project D with a delay of 365 days, experienced the highest delays. In contrast, infrastructure projects in the public sector, like Project S, had relatively lower delays, with some as low as 17 days.

Thanks for the recommendations. Two paragraphs are added in the manuscript discussing the practical constructions, limitations and future directions.

P2 of Conclusion Line 594-607 discuss the practical contribution:

The study contributes to the construction industry in rapidly developing economies, such as Pakistan, by offering specific recommendations based on the findings illustrated in Figure 1. The identified strategies, including the claiming of Extensions of Time (EOT), diversification of material sources, and transitioning to local suppliers, are crucial in mitigating the impacts of supply chain disruptions. Additionally, the establishment of safety management units dedicated to COVID-19 testing and the enforcement of social distancing measures can significantly enhance occupational health and safety standards. The adoption of advanced technologies, such as 3D printing and Extended Reality (XR) training, is proposed to enhance long-term resilience and operational efficiency in construction projects. It is imperative for policymakers and industry leaders to advocate for these strategies and technological advancements to cultivate a more resilient construction sector capable of withstanding future disruptions. Ultimately, the authors contribute to the body of knowledge by providing the foundation for finding out the impact of pandemic on their project performance in developing countries.

P3 of Conclusion Line 608-618 discuss the limitation and future directions:

While this study provides valuable insights into the impact of COVID-19 on construction projects in Pakistan, it has several limitations. First, the sample size of 20 construction professionals may not fully capture the diversity of experiences across the entire industry. Future research should consider larger sample sizes to validate these findings. Additionally, the study is based on qualitative data, which, while rich in detail, may benefit from quantitative analysis to generalize the results. Another limitation is the focus on Pakistan; comparative studies involving other rapidly developing economies could provide a broader understanding of the pandemic's impact on the construction sector globally. Future research should also explore the long-term effects of the pandemic on construction projects and investigate the effectiveness of the recommended strategies over time.

The authors would pay thanks for this comment. Based on the suggestion of the reviewer, some changes are incorporated, although, to our knowledge, so far not a single research article is available on Covid-19 impact on Pakistan construction sector.

P2 of Introduction, Lines 47-60 have been added to emphasize the situation in Pakistan.
Pakistan is considered among countries regarded to be significantly affected by COVID-19 as well [13]. During the initial stages of the pandemic, many countries, including Pakistan, implemented strict lockdown measures to curb the spread of the virus. These lockdowns led to the temporary suspension of construction activities, exacerbating delays and increasing project costs [45]. In major cities, such as Karachi and Lahore, construction sites were shut down, and workers were forced to stay home, leading to significant disruptions in project timelines [45]. The Pakistani government also imposed travel restrictions, which further impacted the movement of labor and materials, essential for construction projects[46]​. The national labor force survey also anticipated a rise in unemployment of 8.1% during the 2020–21 (a period where pandemic hit the most) as compared to that of 5.8% witnessed in 2017–18 [14]. The above discourse justifies that Pakistan’s economy has suffered in various sectors where construction sector is no exclusion.

Many thanks for this comment. Based on the suggestion of the reviewer, the suggested study are cited for strengthening the literature review portion.

P1 of section 1.1, Lines 93-98 have been added to address the comment.

For example, a study assessing construction projects in Singapore highlighted that the pandemic shifted the prioritized risks from financial issues to labor shortages, underscoring the critical need for adaptive risk management strategies [47]. Similarly, an integrated framework for post-COVID-19 recovery in China emphasized the significance of management and technological innovation in improving construction project performance [48].

Many thanks for highlighting this aspect. Based on the suggestions from the reviewer, a new paragraph has been added in the discussion portion, from line 565 to 675.

Post-COVID-19, new construction technologies may gain further traction in emerging economies. These trends offer hope and resilience for the industry’s recovery. The adoption of advanced construction technologies such as additive construction (3D printing) and extended reality (XR) training can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of construction projects. According to Wang et al. [49], promoting additive construction in fast-developing areas requires a thorough analysis of policies and stakeholder perspectives to facilitate its implementation. Similarly, Li et al. [50] highlight the importance of XR training in improving construction safety, skill acquisition, and overall project management. Incorporating these innovative technologies can help mitigate some of the challenges faced by the construction industry during the pandemic and beyond, paving the way for a more resilient and advanced construction sector in Pakistan