What limits effective target value delivery implementation in construction projects?

Target Value Delivery (TVD) has been recognized in the Lean Construction literature for its potential to maximize project value under early-defined cost constraints. However, its practical implementation remains limited and often partial. This study presents a literature review to identify and analyze the barriers to implementing TVD in construction projects. Based on a structured search conducted in Scopus, 35 studies reporting empirical experiences or applications of TVD were analyzed, leading to the identification of 22 barriers grouped into five categories: organizational, contractual and legal, cultural and behavioral, technical and process-related, and client-related. The results indicate that the most recurrently reported barriers are primarily concentrated in the contractual, cultural, and technical dimensions. In particular, misaligned economic incentives, traditional contractual frameworks, lack of trust, and difficulties in defining and operationalizing value emerge as recurrent constraints across the literature. The study proposes a prioritization logic based on the frequency of occurrence of barriers, interpreted as a proxy for their relative relevance, emphasizing the need for integrated and sequential interventions. This review contributes to Lean Construction research by reinforcing the understanding of TVD as a socio-technical system and by providing an analytical foundation for future research and implementation strategies.