Abstract:
Selecting an appropriate construction contractor is a major decision that influences the
success and/or failure of any construction project in Sri Lanka and the selection of a
contractor depends on the bidding process adopted. There are evidences that the most
of the construction projects were not completed on time. This study analyses the
preliminary bid evaluation process which is the first step followed to qualify a selected
contractor for further analysis during the bid evaluation. Adopting a snowball sampling
method, 150 questionnaires were distributed among employers/clients, consultants and
contractors in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. The result reveals that the evaluators
select the contractors with the lowest price bid ignoring the qualified one. The process
of selecting the unqualified low price bidders creates havoc while implementing the
project. Consequently, it creates delay and cost overrun and leads for litigation by
client. This is due to the lack of evaluator knowledge with regard to contractor selection
criteria. This study also suggests to improve the weight of the criteria for preliminary
bid evaluation of contractors.
