This research aims to improve the implementation of project change management by
contractors to secure better outcomes in construction projects. An empirically designed
and tested change management capability maturity model was developed to be used as an
infrastructure for boosting the change management capabilities for contractors in Kuwait.
This research commenced with an extensive literature review to understand project
changes and the implementation of project change management by contractors. This
literature review was followed by semi-structured interviews with contractors to allow for
a deeper understanding of the success criteria of change management. To validate this
criteria, a quantitative questionnaire survey took place and indicated 52 change
management success criteria from the perspective of contractors in Kuwait. These success
criterions (represented by practices and tools) were grouped using the principal
component analysis (PCA) technique and assigned weights within their designated groups
using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Delphi technique to indicate their
relevant significance within a successful change management process. As a result, the
Change Management Capability Maturity Model (CMCMM) was constructed to evaluate
the contractor’s capability to conduct a prosperous change management process according
to the previously concluded success criteria. The model was reviewed by domain experts
and by conducting several case studies to substantiate its fitness for purpose and
practicality. The case studies also showed that CMCMM was effective in indicating the
change management process gaps and successfully outlined the pathway of process
improvement and Institutionalisation. The research contributes to the body of knowledge
related to construction management and capability maturity models in addition to having
several practical implications. This contribution is represented by the development of an
empirically based capability maturity model that uses a validated and weighted criteria
within each stage of project change management process to evaluate the contractor’s
ability to conduct project change management process. The research also provides a step-by-step user guide to enable the proper usage of CMCMM and enhance the model’s
degree of usability by new users in the organisation
