Factor-Based Assessment of Perceived Influences on Front-End Planning Quality in Local Public Construction Projects: Evidence from Tan Chau, Vietnam

Front-end planning is important for local public construction projects because deficiencies in surveys, design documentation, cost estimation, appraisal, and stakeholder coordination can lead to repeated revisions, approval delays, and cost adjustments. This study assessed practitioners’ perceived influences on front-end planning quality in public construction projects in Tan Chau, An Giang Province, Vietnam. A literature-informed factor identification process, consultation with 17 experienced experts, and a paper-based questionnaire survey were used. Twenty-five observed variables were organized into five predefined groups and rated on a five-point perceived-influence scale. Of 250 questionnaires distributed, 248 were retained for analysis. Descriptive statistics, supplementary within-group consistency assessment, principal component analysis with Varimax rotation, and a consultant–non-consultant sensitivity analysis were applied. PCA yielded five components explaining 72.105% of the total variance, with the empirical loading pattern corresponding to the five predefined domains. Item-level means ranged from 3.274 to 3.899; the highest descriptive ratings concerned unsuitable investment norms/cost benchmarks, unreliable exchanged data/documents, and insufficient attention to survey quality. Group-level means ranged from 3.500 to 3.627, with legal and policy factors having the highest descriptive mean, followed by stakeholder coordination. No inferential comparison or equivalence test among the five group means was performed. The findings provide a context-specific descriptive profile of front-end planning influences in Tan Chau and identify issues that may warrant attention in local public project preparation, while the consultant-dominated sample limits broader generalization.