Key Practices For Effective Right-Of-Way Acquisition Management In Construction Projects: Hierarchical Importance And Interrelationships

Abstract

Right-of-Way acquisition is a major challenge in Ethiopian road construction projects, especially in the Arsi Zone, where delays caused by compensation disputes, weak stakeholder coordination, and inadequate planning often results cost and time overruns. To identify solutions for these challenges, the study focuses on assessing and ranking key management practices for effective Right-of-Way acquisition by combining the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Interpretive Structural Modeling. Analytic Hierarchy Process was used to prioritize practices based on their perceived importance, while the Interpretive Structural Modeling method assessed their interrelationships. For this study Primary data were collected from 25 experts and practitioners directly involved in road construction, especially in Right-of-Way management, through structured questionnaires. The first Analytic Hierarchy Process results ranked Conduct pre-acquisition public involvement, provide fair, reasonable, and adequate compensation, and Encourage property valuation based on current market values as the top three critical management practices. The Interpretive Structural Modeling analysis showed that creating legally binding policies that require stakeholder coordination, providing training for all levels of Right-of-Way staff, and using modern software systems to manage Right-of Way activities are highly influential drivers of other practices. When integrating both analyses through quadrant analysis, eight practices fell into the Keep Up the Good Work quadrant, indicating high importance and strong influence. These management practices include early public involvement, fair and timely compensation, transparent valuation, ongoing communication, legal reform, dispute resolution support, staff capacity building, and adoption of digital Right-of-Way management tools. By combining these methodologies, this study provides a comprehensive framework to guide contractors and road authorities in Ethiopia to address Right-of-Way related challenges and improve the success rate of road construction projects