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Many research efforts have identified funding as a critical factor responsible for the delays in the execution of construction projects. These funding challenges affect the client and contractors alike. However, there is limited information on why delays occur in sponsored projects with evidently adequate funding. Therefore, the study focuses on exploring the factors that impact the cash flow during the execution of sponsored construction projects. The multiple-site case-study method of qualitative research was adopted, involving five universities benefiting from the infrastructure funding provided by a government agency in Nigeria. The Delphi technique was used for data collection and analysis, complemented with interviews. The findings identified six factors causing the delays. They were divided into internal and external factors. The internal factors are faulty contractor selection processes resulting in delays by contractors and the failure to complete appropriate phases of a project. The external factors include the delays in the project management system of the funding agency in terms of inspection, monitoring, evaluation and progress certification. The research identified that the combined effect of internal and external factors negatively impacts the project cash flow, which in turn influences project delivery delays. Therefore, this study recommends improvements in the in-house contractor selection processes and the decentralisation of the project inspection, monitoring and evaluation operations of the funding agency. This will facilitate timely inspection, audit, and progress certification, enabling the early release of the second tranche of the project fund. This will ameliorate the negative effects arising due to low cash flow and associated delays in project delivery.

The National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (NDPWI), an agency for infrastructure development in South Africa, provides accommodation and other infrastructure to various public service departments. Each department communicates its infrastructure requirements with the NDPWI. However, there are usually time lags between project briefing and the actual delivery of the infrastructure. Therefore, this article aims to explore the causes of delays and offer solutions to enhance customer satisfaction. The case study method of qualitative research was adopted. Data were collected from the NDPWI regional offices in Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Kimberley, and the professional service department at the head office in Pretoria, among purposively selected participants not below the deputy director level. The Delphi technique was used as an instrument for data collection and complemented during a focus group session. The findings revealed that the major factors contributing to delays included poor planning by the project execution team (PET), ineffective project monitoring and overcentralisation of the decision-making process. The findings, conclusions and recommendations of this research provide useful information for organisational restructuring, the training and continuous retraining of project personnel, especially the project managers. These steps hold the potential for ameliorating the negative effects of delay in the execution of construction projects by the NDPWI.