The Impact of Value Engineering on National Housing Projects with an Incentives and Penalties Approach Using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods: A Case Study of Alborz Province

Abstract

Providing adequate housing and optimally managing cost, time, and quality are among the most important challenges in implementing National Housing Movement projects. In this context, the application of value engineering can facilitate improved project performance and greater resource efficiency through the identification and prioritization of influential factors. The present study aimed to identify and prioritize the factors affecting the application of value engineering in National Housing Movement projects in Alborz Province, with particular emphasis on the possibility of using incentives and penalties. In terms of purpose, this study was applied research, and in terms of methodology, it employed an exploratory mixed-methods design. The statistical population consisted of 233 managers, experts, executive engineers, and contractors involved in National Housing Movement projects in Alborz Province, of whom 144 were selected as the sample using Cochran’s formula. Documentary studies, semi-structured interviews, and qualitative content analysis were used to identify the influential factors. Following coding and the elimination of redundant factors, 20 influential indicators were extracted and classified into four categories: strengthening, inhibiting, developmental, and environmental factors. Quantitative data were subsequently collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire. After examining its validity and reliability, the weights and priorities of the factors were determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and pairwise comparisons based on Saaty’s 1–9 scale. The results indicated weights of 0.707 for strengthening factors, 0.500 for inhibiting factors, 0.707 for developmental factors, and 0.343 for environmental factors. Furthermore, assessment of the existing situation showed that the total score for strengthening and inhibiting factors was 2.68, whereas the total score for developmental and environmental factors was 2.46. The findings indicate that leveraging technological and regulatory capacities, managing cost and time, strengthening coordination among executive agencies, and making targeted use of incentives, together with controlling inhibiting factors such as financial constraints, managerial problems, and economic fluctuations, can play an effective role in enhancing the effectiveness of value engineering in National Housing Movement projects. Accordingly, prioritizing the identified factors can provide a basis for developing implementation policies, designing incentive and penalty mechanisms, and improving the performance of national housing projects in Alborz Province.