KEY SUCCESS FACTORS IN ROAD MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS (A CASE STUDY OF MAYSAN PROVINCE, IRAQ)

Developing roads is a crucial and essential activity, but maintaining them regularly is equally important to improve their performance. A well-maintained road network facilitates economic, industrial, cultural, and social growth. Once the construction phase of a road is complete, its operating phase commences, which is subject to wear and tear due to various factors like traffic and weather conditions. Hence, regular and continuous road maintenance activities are essential to increase the useful life of roads and manage national resources effectively. However, road maintenance management in Iraq, particularly in the province of Maysan, is suffering from poor performance due to the absence of an effective maintenance management system. Therefore, this research aims to identify the critical success factors of road maintenance projects, with a focus on the Maysan province as a case study of Iraq. The study identified and analyzed 27 key success factors in road maintenance projects, which were classified into three groups: management, technical, and resources. Based on the analysis of the literature review and field study in Maysan province, the top five key success factors were determined to be: 1. Adequate funds; 2. Timely payment to contractor and employees; 3. Quality of materials; 4. Use of advanced technology to detect or evaluate road defects; and 5. Communication and coordination among parties. ABSTRAK: Pembangunan jalan adalah sangat penting bagi aktiviti harian, tetapi penyelenggara secara berkala adalah sama penting bagi menambah baik prestasi jalan. Jaringan jalan yang terpelihara membantu dalam ekonomi, industri, budaya, dan perkembangan sosial. Sebaik fasa pembangunan jalan siap, fasa operasi bermula, bergantung pada tahap jalan disebabkan pelbagai faktor seperti trafik dan kondisi jalan. Oleh itu, penyelenggaraan jalan berkala dan berterusan sangat penting kepada jangka hayat jalan dan ianya dapat menyumbang kepada pengurusan sumber negara dengan efektif. Walau bagaimanapun, penyelenggaraan jalan di Iraq, khususnya di daerah Maysan, memiliki kekurangan dalam penyelenggaraan jalan disebabkan oleh ketiadaan sistem pengurusan jalan yang efektif. Oleh itu, kajian ini menumpukan tentang mencari faktor kejayaan penting sesebuah projek penyelenggaraan jalan, sebagai fokus kes kajian ini dipilih di daerah Maysan, di Iraq. Kajian ini merincikan dan menilai 27 kunci kejayaan dalam projek penyelenggaraan jalan di bawah 3 kumpulan: pengurusan, teknikal dan sumber. Berdasarkan analis dapatan kajian terdahulu dan bidang kajian di daerah Maysan, lima kunci faktor kejayaan didapati dari: 1. Sumber yang mencukupi; 2. Pembayaran tepat kepada kontraktor dan pekerja; 3. Material kualiti; 4. Pengunaan teknologi moden bagi mengesan dan menganalisa kerosakan jalan; dan 5. Komunikasi dan koordinasi antara semua yang terlibat.