Construction Management

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An examination of the prevalence and effectiveness of environmental management plans as legal requirements on construction projects in the area of Ethekwini municipality KZN.
(2022) Khoza, Samson Henry.; Haupt, Theodore Conrand.
The construction sector is regarded as one of the fundamental causes of environmental pollution globally due to noise, water, air pollution from harmful gases, dust, solid and liquid waste. Furthermore, due to heavy machinery operations, oil spills occur frequently. Therefore, an environmental management plan was introduced as a document prepared during the environmental management process to guide the environmental impact mitigation through the entire construction project life cycle, from project initiation to decommissioning as a legal requirement for all contractors to comply. However, despite compliance in the form of an environmental management plan being a legal requirement for construction projects in South Africa, environmental management plans are not prevalent, pervasive, enforced on construction sites. Therefore, the study examines the prevalence and effectiveness of environmental management plans as legal requirements on construction projects in eThekwini Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal. A quantitative study was employed, and data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Descriptive statistics was adopted for the data analysis. The technique used to collect data was convenience sampling based on proximity and familiarity and completed in close-ended questionnaires through google forms and completed questionnaires copies, 91 population participated in the study from different contractors. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test was used to determine the internal consistency of the constructs used to examine the prevalence and effectiveness of environmental management plans as legal requirements. Internal consistency of various scales was deemed acceptable for interpretation. The results revealed that contractors do not provide enough training and induction about environment management plans to staff and construction workers before the project starts. Therefore, this causes contractors to not fully comply with an environmental management plan because site managers and construction workers are not making a better-informed decision on protecting the environment when they are physically involved in the execution of activities onsite. The results further suggested that contractors see environmental management plans as a waste of time; they prefer to focus on production and profit maximization. Therefore, this has led to contractors not complying with construction projects' environmental management plans. The results also suggested that few contractors have environmental management plans on their daily site Instruction; not all contractors consider environmental management plans on their daily site instructions. The absence of environmental management plan on daily site instructions of contractors on-site is one of the factors causing contractors to continue harming and degrading the environment because site management and construction workers are not daily reminded about the environmental hazards on-site during the execution of activities. Therefore, contractors need to start considering environmental management plans on their daily site instruction to remind their employees about expected and potential hazards because they are physically involved with execution on site. Therefore, it will benefit the effectiveness of environmental environment plans on construction projects.
An Analysis of the causes of construction accidents in South Africa: a case study approach.
(2018) Lutchmiah, Trinisha.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
It is well-known that construction represents a challenging regime in which to manage health and safety exacerbated by the enormous diversity in terms of the size and range of its activities (HSE, 2001). Health and safety improvements in the workplace are developed and shaped because of the knowledge gained and assumptions made from accidents that have occurred (Gibb, Lingard, Behm and Cooke, 2014). Understanding what causes accidents is important as it helps distinguish between factors that require attention and remedial action and factors that are unimportant and can be ignored (Swuste, 2008). There are several theories that exist created by scholars in attempts to provide understanding of the causation of accidents on construction sites. Some of these theories are discussed in this study, namely:  Accident Proneness Theory;  Goals-Freedom-Alertness Theory;  Adjustment-Stress Theory;  Distractions Theory;  Chain of events (Domino and Updated Domino theory);  Multiple Causation Model;  Reason’s Framework for Accident Causation;  Constraint-Response Theory;  Human Error Theories; and  Systemic accident model Despite these theories, accidents have continued unabated. Typically, these theories have focused on the construction worker as being the primary cause of accidents – a basic tenet of the behavioural safety approach espoused by Krause and Hidley (1990) and others. According to Whittington et al. (1992), emphasis on individual failures resulted in a reliance on short-term solutions rather than uncovering more fundamental management or organisational problems. Generally, the proposed remedy targeted a specific event or operative, such that no effort was made to uncover the underlying cause of the accident. The HSE (2001) observed that changes at the direct level alone would not deliver the degree of change being sought, nor would the resultant improvement be sustained. This study utilised a qualitative research approach and a combination of descriptive and analytical research methods namely both questionnaires and case studies to analyse the problem statement. The sample design used in this study is based on quota sampling as a sample of any 30 lost time accidents investigation reports were required from the large participating construction company for selection and analysis for this study. A further sample of 10 Contractors and Health and Safety Officers were surveyed to test if the findings of the case study were in line with what these professionals actually experience on site. A sample of 30 accident investigation reports were analysed by categorising every cause identified in these reports according to the relevant accident causation theories to determine which theories most prevalently or most frequently would have identified the causes as shown in the construction company’s accident investigation reports. The frequency of each accident causation theory was analysed to determine if the identified causes of the accidents were focused on the actions and failures of workers or management and if the remedial actions taken were correct and were able to prevent the accident from reoccurring according to the theories they were classified under. The causes of the 30 construction accidents as stated in the respective accident investigation reports were classified into three categories namely: Direct Causes, Contributory Causes and Root Causes to determine if the root causes were in fact identified The findings of the case study indicated that the construction accident investigation reports are flawed as they typically fault the negligence of workers as being the root cause of construction accidents. The majority of the construction professionals surveyed were of the opinion that accident investigation, although effective, can be improved. However, the case study findings indicate that accident investigation processes and methods are ineffective as 83% of accident investigation reports incorrectly identified direct and contributory causes which the suggested remedial action was not based on root causes.
Applying the social cognitive career theory to the influence of sociocultural factors on women’s career choices in construction.
(2020) Akinlolu, Mariam Temisola.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
Despite its significant contribution regarding employment in South Africa, women remain severely underrepresented in the construction industry. Men have become the primary beneficiaries of these job opportunities and the determinants of the construction industry’s culture. The construction industry continues to be a highly male-dominated sector, with a significant overrepresentation ofmen. Consequently,women have been perceived to be inferior to men and therefore, occupy minor employment positions in the industry. Limited research has been undertaken regarding the meaning men, and women make of various career choice behaviours and activities. Consequently, very little is known about why women make certain career choices. This study examines the influence of sociocultural factors on women’s underrepresentation in construction and then develops a model to improve women’s career choices in the construction industry. The Socio-Cognitive Career Theory was applied to determine the factors that predict career choices in construction, in the South African context. The study further explores the possible differential validity of SCCT variables and person and contextual factors such as self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goalrepresentations, social supports, interests, learning experiences, perceived barriers, gender stereotypes and access to opportunity structures for men and women, as well as among women from different socio- economic backgrounds. Therefore, a mixed-method approach, consisting of a Delphi and survey method, was adopted to model career choice in construction within the South African context.Results of this study were consistent with some of the propositions of the SCCT (1994), except the direct influence of learning experiences on career choices, which was not supported for the sample in this study. The findings revealed that career choice in the construction profession is a nine-factor model. The final model revealed that self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goal representations, social supports, interests, perceived discriminatory barriers, perceived barriers to career success and progression, gender stereotypes and access to opportunity structures are significant with career choice. Learning experiences was found to be insignificant. Therefore, the identified constructs have a significant direct influence on career choice and are predictors and determinants of career choice in the South African construction industry. Also, the goodness of fit and statistical significance of the parameter estimates met the cut-off criteria for the hypothesized model. A practical implication of the research is that results from the study suggest clear pathways to making a career choice in construction, for women who want to enter and remain in the construction work. This study is unique, as samples from diverse groups are usually not included in career choice and development research. Therefore, the study recommends that further cross-cultural studies should be conducted in thisarea of research.
Assessing contractors’ understanding of standard forms of contract in south african construction industry.
(2019) Dulu, Ronelle.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
Standard forms of contract account for more than 99% of all contracts entered. In the South African Construction Industry, standard forms of contracts have been developed by independent professional bodies in order to provide some uniformity through standardization of the contractual terms and conditions. These contracts have been designed to specifically cater for the special circumstances relating to construction. Studies have shown that the lack of clarity in contract documents can lead to misunderstanding and disputes between parties.The complex design, structure and language usage of standard forms of construction contracts most commonly used in South Africa, result in the misunderstanding by building contractors of their rights, duties and responsibilities with negative impacts on their overall project performance and long- term business sustainability. This study attempts to assess the underlying causes of contractors poor understanding of the standard forms of contracts commonly used in the South African Construction Industry. The primary objectives of this study were: • To examine the effects of the lack of understanding of standard forms of contracts by contractors • To determine if the complex design, structure and language usage of standard forms of contracts make them difficult for the contractor to understand. • To determine if contractors know and understand their rights, duties and responsibilities. • To determine whether training in the use of standard forms of contracts will improve the performance and management of projects. A quantitative research method was adopted where a questionnaire with closed-ended questions was distributed to conveniently sampled construction contractors in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A total of 134 questionnaires were administered and 67 were returned, translating to a response rate of 50%. Findings from the study showed that respondents had experienced challenges with the understanding of standard forms of contract. Participants in the study reported high levels of agreement with the contributing factors to the lack of understanding of standard forms of contracts. Furthermore, the study confirmed that the complexity, structure and language use of the standard forms of contract make contractual agreements difficult to understand. Contractors perceived the contract forms as complex with too much legalese and ambiguity. The study revealed the difficulty of contractors to understand and interpret the contents of the contract which might likely have resulted in the misunderstanding of their contractual rights and duties. Training in the use of standard forms of contracts allowed the contractor to improve performance and management of projects. It was evident that the attributes associated with training in construction provided contractors with the opportunity to understand their obligations. This research focused on the construction industry and was limited to contractors in the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. An extension of the study to other industries and contractors in other provinces is recommended. The possibility of obtaining accurate and thorough findings on the use of standard forms of contracts in South Africa will be increased, and comparative studies can be conducted.
Assessing South African public sector maturity to implement the infrastructure delivery management system (IDMS).
(2020) Chigangacha, Progress Shingai.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.; Awuzie, Bankole Ositadinma.
Infrastructure is the fulcrum of a strong economy. It can be considered as the backbone of every economy as it directly impacts on some elements of expansive socio-economic development which contribute to economic growth and development thereby increasing societal value and quality of life. Undoubtedly, infrastructure is critical and a prerequisite for economic growth and power. Likewise, the paucity of and lack thereof of adequate infrastructure impedes national growth and development. For most developing countries, there are large infrastructural deficits and the infrastructure gap is large, with infrastructure delivery being characterized by slow progress and development. South Africa too is fraught with a myriad of challenges affecting infrastructure delivery and this has seen the South African government prioritizing and scaling up expenditure on infrastructure to support its economic growth and development plans. In recent years, the South African government has made remarkable progress to support its economic growth and development plans and introduced recent enabling legislation and guidelines, in the process reducing poverty and inequality. However, it is still plagued with tremendous backlogs and shortfalls due to considerable bottlenecks, as a result of several systemic challenges that inhibit the effective delivery of infrastructural installations, the causes of which have not necessarily been identified or understood. Furthermore, there is severe persistence of infrastructure challenges facing the South African landscape despite numerous government interventions to scale up infrastructure delivery. The Infrastructure Delivery Management System (IDMS), a government model formulated to ameliorate infrastructure delivery has not been adequately utilized so as to achieve its full effectiveness and efficiency. This could potentially be emanating from deficiencies in institutional capacities and capabilities and the lack of organizational readiness to utilize this model. Suffice to note is the reality that the challenges of infrastructure in South Africa are not primarily attributed to lack of funding but are as a result of institutional failures and a lack of requisite capacity within the Public sector Against this background, this study aimed primarily to develop and validate a maturity model for assessing and improving public sector organizations’ readiness for effective IDMS implementation. Upon model development and validation, the study assessed the maturity of provincial government departments in engaging with the extant IDMS and it formulated evidence based interventions to improve delivery and management of infrastructure projects. This was achieved through analysis of data obtained from the use of a nine-dimension Maturity Modelling Questionnaire and semi-structured Interviews. The results obtained were used to indicate Organizational Maturity on a 5-level scale where Level 1 is the initial/adhoc level which is indicative of a regressive organization with a complete lack of attributes and Level 5 is indicative of an optimized organization with world class attributes. An IDMS ready organization would ideally have a maturity rating at level 5. This study found that all three organizations that were surveyed had a maturity rating 3
Causes for failure of women owned construction companies in kwazulu-natal, south africa.
(2019) Ndimande, Jabulile Hilda.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
The South African government has instituted numerous programs to advance the role of women in the construction sector. While there has been an increase in the overall number of women-owned contractors suggesting a gender-positive environment in post-apartheid, there is also a high failure rate of women-owned contractors. In the current study the main contributory factors were analysed in order to establish the root causes that lead to business failure regarding the performance of women owned businesses in construction. The objectives of the study were to identify the roots and causes for failure of women owned construction companies and also the capability to manage finances; to examine the strategies adopted by women-owned construction companies to overcome some of the challenges that they encountered including the possibilities for training and mentorship; to confirm whether women were given the same possibilities and opportunities to compete with men; and to verify if policies were effective enough to empower women or whether there was need for more effective policy implementation. A questionnaire was distributed to a sample of women-owned and men-owned contractors drawn from the KZN province. These contractors were extracted from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Register of Contractors. The questionnaire aimed to gain insight into the causes of failure of women owned construction businesses. Data was analysed using a statistics tool known as IBM (SPSS) Statistics version 25. The following were the key findings, namely: • • technical skills, support and networking opportunities, stock control, secure and appropriate storage facilities, proper tools and equipment were the most significant causes that influenced the failure of women owned construction business; • • Tendering, Project management, Target market and Sales and selling were also the most significant business strategy components that influenced the success of women owned construction business. Based on the findings, the present study has recommended that women have to be afforded more opportunities to update their skills in financial management, business skills management and business marketing. This will empower and equip them with necessary tools to be able to tackle challenges that are current in the construction industry. Also in terms of policies, there are many of them protecting women in business, including the construction industry. However, it is important to review the policies that are not relevant and to implement those that very important in order to make them effective for the success of women in the construction industry more specifically the gender equality aspect.
Challenges faced by main contractors when working with inexperienced subcontractors on South African construction projects.
(2020) Mathenjwa, Mcebo Mpucuko.; Harinarain, Nishanhi.
Sub-contractors are an extremely important in the business of main contractors and as such collaboration between them is largely significant to the success of the construction industry and the continued existence of both of these entities. This research hereby assesses the challenges that main contractors face when working with inexperienced sub-contractors. The study also looks at the measures that a typical main contractor would apply in cases where they have to work together with an inexperienced sub-contractor. Finally, this study assess what other measures could be adopted by inexperienced/emerging sub-contractors so as to accelerate the growth in this high paced industry. Main-contractors are organisations that ensure the success of construction projects. Successful construction projects depend largely on the physical influence of this entity over the construction period. The main contractor and the consultant ‘s ability to achieve a project within the stipulated time and within cost, is largely dependent on the subcontractor ‘s performance. A construction sub-contractor is an organisation that goes into a contract with a main contractor with the duty to execute a portions of work for the main contractor. While sub-contractors have the opportunity to produce quality results, it also has the potential to disrupt a project if performed incorrectly. This is found to be case with new inexperienced/emerging sub-contractors that are still trying to make their way into the competitive market. In the competitive market, where best bid price often gets awarded contracts to perform certain trades related to construction, inexperienced sub-contractors are often found making these mistakes and end up taking work that has been under-priced for even work that they have no extensive knowledge off. The research study looked at the challenges that main contractors face when working with inexperienced/emerging sub-contractors. Contractors registered on the Master Builder Association of South Africa under general builders for the provinces of Western Cape indicated a number of 44 registered contractors, and KwaZulu-Natal indicating a total 177 registered contractors under residential and commercial buildings, and this made up the sample for the study. The purposive sampling method was employed for the qualitative data and stratified sampling for quantitative data. The study further discusses the efforts and interventions that main contractors make in an effort to reducing the impact of working with such contractors on construction projects. Finally, the study discusses what main contractors can do to further assist inexperienced/emerging sub-contractors in attaining the necessary competency to operate efficiently in a high paced environment. The qualitative data showed that quality, technical performance, and functionality lack of communication poor collaboration, time delays and conflict deceitful practices and safety compliance as being the challenges that main contractors agree to be the case when working with inexperienced sub-contractors. Quantitative found that quality, shortage of skills, poor planning skills/management, low communication levels, risk to health and safety risk and the lack of understanding of construction contracts as being among the most significant challenges of working with inexperienced sub-contractors. In conducting the study, the pragmatism paradigm was used in this study. Qualitative research was done in the form of semi structured interviews and quantitative data was collected by way survey questionnaires. The data was analysed simultaneously using the concurrent triangulation strategy. A total of 8 participants took park in the semi-structured interviews, and a total of 70 participants took part in the survey questionnaire.
The construction health and safety regulation 2014 impact on construction workers well-being.
(2019) Raliile, Mohlomi Terah.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
Globally, the construction industry is considered as one of the most dangerous industries. The industry is known to be a challenging regime in which to practice adequate health and safety as work activities take place in hazardous environments with exposures to heights; changing weather conditions and different locations. More so, construction workers are always expected to cope with the changing environments and different scopes of work. The construction industry is perceived to be fragmented, unfair and unpredictable regarding the adequate protection of construction site workers, often violating their fundamental human right. Recent construction H&S legislation in South Africa has been amended in an effort to achieve optimum health and safety throughout all construction project phases. However, it would appear that the primary purpose for compliance with health and safety legislation requirements among contractors is to avoid penalties and for profit maximisation. The purpose of this study was to analyse the recent construction H&S legislation changes (Construction Regulations 2014) and their impact of on construction workers’ quality of life, wellbeing and their sustainability within the South African construction industry. An extensive review of literature on the topic was conducted from online databases, books, articles, reports and other studies. Furthermore, a quantitative study was employed and data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Descriptive statistics was adopted for the data analysis and further interpreted using inferential statistics. The total sample size for the study was 120 participants (80 managers and 40 construction workers) where a total of 80 construction companies in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province were conveniently sampled based on proximity and familiarity. The response rate for the study was 78.3%. A total of 64 managers (as representatives of the companies) and 30 construction workers completed close-ended questionnaires. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test was used to determine the internal consistency of the constructs that had been used to analyse compliance and impact of legislative changes on construction workers wellbeing and the internal consistency of the various scales was deemed acceptable for interpretation. Independent t-test was done to determine the statistical significance of the means between management and construction workers’ responses. There was an overall statistical significance suggesting that both management and construction workers shared the same views on the impact of H&S legislation on construction workers wellbeing; onsite facilities; the level of compliance with the construction regulations 2014 onsite, and workers wellbeing. However, the respondents did not share the same views on whether there was management commitment; availability of H&S policies onsite; workers’ involvement in H&S inspections, and also if there was sufficient knowledge of the construction H&S legislation. Furthermore, the means from both respondents suggested the need to improve in all constructs. A Spearman’s correlation was also conducted to determine any correlations and statistical significance between the constructs of the study. The findings indicated that the impact of the construction regulations 2014 on workers’ wellbeing has not yet been determined to date. However, a statistical significance between the level of compliance with the regulations suggested there was a positive impact on improving construction workers wellbeing. The findings further indicated that there is a need for more knowledge on H&S legislation among management and workers as this significantly improves workers’ wellbeing. However, a negative correlation between knowledge of H&S legislation and workers’ involvement suggested that it might not be in the best interest for the contractors to see workers gaining more knowledge. Also, management did not allow enough budget to improve workers wellbeing and did not see the need to improve onsite facilities, and this might have been influenced by the good and healthy state of workers. Furthermore, it could be that workers were not demanding better site facilities. However, it was agreed that management commitment to legislation contributed extensively towards improving workers’ quality of life and wellbeing as the main issue lies with the level of compliance which has a direct impact on implementation. Based on the findings, the paper proposes measures for contractors to engender full compliance and apply all aspects of the construction regulations; improve working conditions, consider the health and wellbeing of workers and treat health and safety as a value and not just a priority.
Cost management of public sector construction projects in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2017) Mkhize, Fezile.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
It is common that public sector construction projects do not finish on time, within budget or to the desired quality. These failures are caused by, for example, change of scope, change of schedule, change of design, unavailability of material, lack of appropriate construction experience, poor project co-ordination, and inefficient management of the project schedule which frequently lead to variation orders and cost overruns. Government who is an Employer in the public sector construction project is interested in projects to be completed on time, within budget and a quality end product. The objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of cost management in the public sector construction projects determined by estimates done at various stages of the procurement process, with arguably increasing level of accuracy, the reasons for frequent cost overruns during the construction phase of projects need to be investigated. Therefore the aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of cost management techniques in the construction projects in public sector in KwaZulu Natal. The study also assessed the accuracy of the cost estimates that are developed by the quantity surveyors at different stages of the construction projects and the effectiveness of procurement methods used to implement projects. The qualitative method was adopted for the data collection using systematic random sampling which resulted in 20 case studies selected and analysed. The open ended questions were used during the interviews to get the in depth understanding. Generally it was found that there was no clear evidence of cost management technique used by the public sector, the focus was on the outputs to be delivered and budget spending. The scrutiny of the case studies revealed that quantity surveyors were found to be out of touch of the market trend as 75 % of the tender amount were below the cost estimates. Inter alia the client was found to be the most predominant origin agent of cost overruns caused by the time it takes between the planning and the actual implementation of the project. The study recommends that the public sector should take an active role in cost management from the planning stage, the selection of a cost effective procurement method, the construction phase until the project closeout.
Curriculum development for an inquiry approach to construction education.
(2019) Zulu, Ephraim.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
University graduates have been criticised for failing to make a meaningful contribution to professional practice in the construction industry in South Africa and across the world generally. Deficiencies have been reported in the ability of graduates of construction programmes to think critically, solve problems or apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations. Among other factors, the traditional didactic lecture approach to teaching and learning has been blamed for not providing students with an appropriate learning experience to adequately prepare them for professional practice. This is because the didactic lecture approach is characterised by attempts to transmit knowledge from the lecturer to the student which has been found to be inadequate in achieving effective learning. The traditional didactic approach to teaching is based on theories of learning which assumed that knowledge can be transmitted from the minds of lecturers to the minds of students. Contemporary theories of learning have rebuffed this assumption and demonstrated that knowledge and understanding are achieved by students actively engaging with the study material and constructing their own knowledge structures rather than passively receiving knowledge and understanding. Based on these contemporary theories of learning, several different pedagogy has been suggested and incorporated in educational practice. However, predominantly, contemporary pedagogy has been haphazardly applied within the traditional framework of segregated modules. Also, different pedagogy based on different contemporary theories has been researched and applied independent of each other. This has led to some contradictions in some pedagogy and a lack of synergistic collaboration among the contemporary pedagogy. Against this background, this thesis researched the problem that the traditional didactic lecture teaching approach to construction education at undergraduate level does not adequately prepare students for construction professional practice and therefore requires an alternative curriculum model which incorporates different contemporary theories of learning synergistically in a student centred inquiry based learning (IBL) pedagogical framework. To achieve this, the research established factors from the contemporary theories of learning which significantly contribute to the creation of knowledge structures in students studying construction programmes in South Africa. Subsequently the research proposed a curriculum model for construction programmes which incorporated the identified antecedents to effective learning underpinned in the contemporary pedagogical framework of IBL. The research followed a positivist epistemological philosophy and a subjective ontological philosophy, a deductive research approach, a survey research strategy, a cross sectional time horizon and a data collection technique and procedure of a questionnaire using the non-probability sampling technique of convenient sampling. The research procedure included an extensive literature review of three contemporary theories of learning namely, constructivism from philosophy, connectionism from behaviourism and cognitive load theory from cognitive science. Subsequently, an instrument measuring the concepts from the conceptual model was developed, pre-tested and then administered to undergraduate students studying construction programmes at a convenient sample of public universities in South Africa. The results show that the factors from the three contemporary theories of learning which directly influence the extent to which students studying construction programmes are able to create knowledge structures and achieve effective learning are individual learning, scaffolding, reflective thinking and group learning in that order. Repetition, reinforcement, readiness, self-directed learning and the use of worked examples have indirect relationships with the ability for students to create knowledge structures. Complex questions and authentic questions were also found to indirectly contribute to effective learning. Cognitive loading was found to interfere with learning and complex questions were found to induce cognitive loading while authentic questions did not. Subsequently, an IBL curriculum framework for construction programmes was proposed which integrated most of the topics which directly relate to construction practice. Based on the findings, the IBL class should involve students in both individual and group learning activities which should be appropriately scaffolded and students explicitly directed towards reflective thinking as they engage in the IBL projects. Complex questions and authentic questions should be used in collaboration with extra scaffolding in order to reduce the impact of the consequent cognitive loading induced by complex questions. The IBL projects should be simple initially and increase in complexity as the student’s advance.
Development of a client-driven health and safety model for measuring health and safety performance of construction projects in south africa.
(2020) Khoza, Joseph Dumizulu.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
The construction industry plays a vital role in the world economy. A labour-intensive sector creates the most employment opportunities for unskilled and semi-skilled workers from impoverished local communities. The activities of the construction industry affect all aspects of the economy and drive the economic growth of many countries; it makes use of materials procured from other industries – making it one of the sectors indirectly contributing to employment creation in other sectors. Despite its vital role and contribution to economic growth, the construction industry remains a hazardous sector where the most vulnerable (unskilled and semi-skilled) workers are continually involved in serious construction accidents. Although there have been interventions by various stakeholders to deal with this problem, the results remain unacceptable with accidents persisting in the industry. Notwithstanding significant effort by business associations, researchers, construction clients and contractors to deal with the unsatisfactory health and safety (H&S) performance in the construction industry, the situation has not improved. There is consensus amongst researchers that the involvement by clients throughout all of the project phases can lead to improvement in the health and safety performance of construction projects. Over the past few years various studies dealing with client influence in construction project health and safety performance have reported several methods in which construction clients can improve this aspect on project sites; however, very few studies have developed models to assist the industry in improving health and safety of these projects. Lack of effective involvement by clients has contributed to the construction industry’s extremely high number of accidents that occur on a daily basis, resulting in medical treatment cases, lost time incidents, fatalities and damage to property. The objective of this study was to develop a client-driven health and safety rating model (CHSRM) for the measurement of health and safety performance that can be used by construction clients to improve project health and safety performance. The relationship between involvement of clients in construction projects and health and safety performance was investigated and the extent to which South African construction clients are involved in projects was examined. Results from the literature reviewed identified the attitudes by clients towards health and safety overall, the communication attitudes by clients towards health and safety, the selection of contractors, the involvement of clients before and during construction, contractual health and safety arrangement and monitoring of health and safety performance by contractors, as critical factors associated with involvement of clients in construction projects and health and safety improvements. It was conceptualised that these critical factors can be used as building blocks for the CHSRM. Using the framework of factors from previous studies, a survey method was adopted for this study. A questionnaire was designed for respondents to assess the extent to which construction clients were involved in construction project health and safety in projects they had managed and to evaluate the health and safety performance of those projects. Results from data collected across 135 large-size construction projects in South Africa were analysed using descriptive statistics. The first results from the questionnaire relate to the degree to which construction clients are involved in the project health and safety. They show that the attitudes of clients and their communication attitudes towards health and safety, selection of contractors, contractual health and safety arrangement and the monitoring of health and safety performance of contractors were found to be satisfactory and common in the construction industry. However, involvement by clients before and during construction was found to be unsatisfactory. The second results relate to whether there is a relationship between client involvement and project health and safety performance. A survey was designed for respondents to assess the performance of projects they had participated in and to evaluate their performance by providing data using lagging indicators. The relationship between the six constructs with each of the project health and safety performance indicators was tested using correlation analysis. The results show that all of the constructs have a high significant positive correlation at p<0.001. Furthermore, they show that the first aid incident rate and all incident frequency rate indicators of project health and safety performance are not influenced by any of the research variables. The medical treatment incident frequency rate, lost time incident frequency rate and recordable case rate indicators of project performance are all influenced by selection of contractors and contractual health and safety arrangement. Based on the results of the study, the client-driven occupational health and safety measurement model seemed to be justifiable. The results from previous studies provided a theoretical basis to construct a model for this study using the critical health and safety factors. It was hypothesised that attitude of clients towards health and safety, their communication attitude towards health and safety, their involvement before and during construction, selection of contractors, contractual health and safety arrangement and the monitoring of health and safety performance of contractors, have a direct influence on project health and safety performance. These hypotheses were tested and verified using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM). Contrary to the findings of the previous studies, the final CB-SEM results suggested that the contractual health and safety arrangement is the only construct which has a direct effect on project health and safety performance. Mediation hypothesis was performed revealing that the attitude, communication and selection of contractors based on their historical health and safety performance have an indirect effect of project health and safety performance. The final model was validated by CHS experts who were asked to review the proposed model and to rate the extent to which they agree/disagree with the statements that described the model in terms of its applicability, effectiveness and adaptability in the construction industry. The key finding was that CHSRM was acceptable. The study has contributed to knowledge by deepening the understanding of the critical elements to health and safety beyond those considered in previous studies. The significance of the study was that construction clients could use CHSRM before and during the construction process. It has also highlighted the urgent need for construction clients to change the traditional mind-set that health and safety is only the responsibility of construction contractors. The results of the study have confirmed that involvement by clients throughout the phases of the project could lead to improvement in project health and safety. Future studies should be conducted using a larger sample size to improve the application of the model in the construction industry. The survey instrument indicator variables may be refined to suit specific project environments.
Development of an assessment design model for inquiry based learning pedagogy in construction education in South Africa.
(2020) Jaiyeola, Adesoji Tunbosun.; Harinarain, Nishani.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
ABSTRACT IN ENGLISH Construction education in South Africa is in the main undertaken using positivist methodologies which are at the core of university education. Current construction curriculums present subjects and content in silos that have no connection to each other. Students therefore experience individual classes, sessions and content perceived to have no connection or relationship with each other. Also, in this positivist approach assessment tools generally take the form of tests, examinations, assignment and projects. Success in tests and examinations indicates to the lecturer that a student has learnt something. Conversely, failure in tests and examinations suggests that no learning has taken place at all. The student experience is therefore typically one of being a receptacle in which information is deposited. Construction programmes have responded to these criticisms by experimenting with various pedagogy approaches like inquiry based learning (IBL), to improve the quality and employability of their graduates while trying to narrow the gap between what academia produces and what industry needs. Consequently, engineering and science disciplines began shifting from the lecturebased classroom and assessment format to emphasise active, research-based, and problem-based student learning. It is within this context that several researchers have called for changes in the curriculum and assessment design. This study researched the problem that the current mode of assessments in construction education at undergraduate level does not adequately measure learning so does not prepare students for construction professional practice and therefore requires an alternative assessment design model which incorporates different contemporary theories of learning synergistically in an IBL pedagogical framework. The research followed a subjective ontological philosophy, a deductive research approach, a survey research strategy, a cross sectional time horizon and a data collection technique and procedure of a questionnaire using the non-probability sampling technique of convenient sampling. The research procedure included an extensive literature review of articles that fully discussed the use of inquiry for learning in an educational context. The search resulted in 49 articles. These articles were further reviewed to identify the common facets of Inquiry based learning pedagogy. Thirty-two facets were identified as the common and importance facets. The facets were reduced to 28 base on the frequency of appearance in the IBL articles. Delphi survey with 14 construction education experts was used to identify 18 facets as the most important and having the greatest impact on assessment design in Inquiry based learning pedagogy. These facets were used to develop a conceptual model. The developed conceptual model was refined and tested using student survey assessment questionnaire administered online to 563 undergraduate students studying construction programmes at six universities in South Africa. The data from the student survey were screened using the anomaly detection node in IBM SPSS Modeller v 27, excel and statistics before subjecting them to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using IBM SPSS v27. Subsequently, structural equation modelling (SEM) using IBM SPSS AMOS v27 was used to assess and validate the structural relationship among the research constructs. The results show that the 18 facets of IBL pedagogy directly and positively influence the development of effective assessment tools to measure learning and achieve effective learning in construction programmes in South Africa and the eight hypotheses between assessment design, facets of IBL and learning were also supported. Subsequently, an IBL assessment design framework for construction programmes was developed which integrate and relate theories of learning and IBL pedagogy to construction practice and learning. The assessment model provides a foundation for policy makers, lecturers, curriculum developers and other stake holders in the improvement of the quality of education in construction education by developing effective assessment tools. ABSTRACT IN ISIZULU Imfundo yezokwakha eNingizimu Afrika yiyona esemqoka eyenziwayo kusetshenziswa izindlela zokwenza okuhle okuyizinto ezisemqoka emfundweni ephakeme. Izifundo zamanje zokwakha ziveza izifundo nokuqukethwe kuma-silos angaxhumani. Ngakho-ke izitshudeni zithola amakilasi ngamanye, amaseshini nokuqukethwe okubonakala kungenakho ukuxhumana noma ubudlelwane komunye nomunye. Futhi, kulokhu amathuluzi wokuhlola indlela yokwenza okuhle ngokuvamile athatha uhlobo lwezivivinyo, izivivinyo, ukwabiwa kanye namaphrojekthi. Ukuphumelela ekuhlolweni nasezivivinyweni kukhombisa umfundisi ukuthi umfundi ufunde okuthile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukwehluleka ekuhlolweni nasezivivinyweni kusikisela ukuthi akukho kufunda okwenzekile nhlobo. Okuhlangenwe nakho kwabafundi ngakho-ke ngokuvamile kungokwamukelwa lapho kufakwa khona imininingwane. Izinhlelo zokwakha ziphendulile kulokhu kugxeka ngokuzama izindlela ezahlukahlukene zokufundisa ezinjengokubuza okusekelwe ekufundeni (i-IBL), ukwenza ngcono izinga nokuqashwa kwabafundi babo ngenkathi bezama ukunciphisa igebe phakathi kwalokhu okwenziwa yizifundiswa nalokho okudingwa yimboni. Ngenxa yalokho, imikhakha yezobunjiniyela nesayensi yaqala ukusuka kufomethi esekwe ekilasini nasekuhloleni ukugcizelela ukufunda okusebenzayo, okususelwa ocwaningweni, nasekufundeni okususelwa ezinkingeni. Kungalesi simo lapho abacwaningi abaningana becele khona ushintsho kwikharikhulamu nakwindlela yokuhlola. Lo mqondo ucwaninge inkinga yokuthi indlela yamanje yokuhlola emfundweni yezokwakha ezingeni le-undergraduate ayilinganisi ngokwanele ukufunda ngakho-ke ayilungiseli abafundi ukwenza umsebenzi wobungcweti wokwakha ngakho-ke idinga enye indlela yokwakhiwa kokuhlola okubandakanya imicabango ehlukahlukene yesimanje yokufunda ngokuvumelana ku- IBL uhlaka lokufundisa. Ucwaningo lulandele ubuhlakani ye-epistemological positivist kanye nefilosofi ye-ontological, indlela yokucwaninga ehlukanisayo, isu lokucwaninga ngenhlolovo, ubude besikhathi sokuhlukaniswa kanye nenqubo yokuqoqa imininingwane nenqubo yohlu lwemibuzo kusetshenziswa inqubo engeyona engenzeka yesampula elula. Inqubo yocwaningo ibandakanya ukubuyekezwa okubanzi kwezindatshana ezikhuluma ngokugcwele ngokusetshenziswa kophenyo lokufunda kumongo wezemfundo. Ukusesha kuholele kuma-athikili angama-shumi amane nesishagplolunye. Lezi zihloko ziphinde zabuyekezwa ukuze kutholakale izici ezivamile zemfundo yokufunda esekwe kuphenyo. Izici ezingamashumi amathathu nambili zikhonjwe njengezici ezijwayelekile nokubaluleka. Ama-facets ancishisiwe abanga mashumi amabili nesishagalombili base kumvamisa wokuvela kuma-athikili e-IBL. Ucwaningo lweDelphi olunezazi eziyi-shumi nane zezemfundo yezokwakha lusetshenziselwe ukukhomba izici eziyishumi nesishagalombili njengezibaluleke kakhulu futhi ezinomthelela omkhulu ekwakhiweni kokuhlolwa ku-pedagogy yokufunda ngokusekelwe kuphenyo. Lezi zici zisetshenziselwe ukuthuthukisa imodeli yomqondo. Imodeli yomqondo esunguliwe yathuthukiswa futhi yahlolwa kusetshenziswa uhlu lwemibuzo lokuhlolwa kwabafundi olwenziwa nge-zobuchwepheshe kubafundi abangama-563 abafundela phansi abafunda izinhlelo zokwakha emanyuvesi ayisithupha eNingizimu Afrika. Imininingwane evela ocwaningweni lwabafundi ihlolwe kusetshenziswa i-anomaly detection node ku-IBM SPSS Modeller v 27, excel kanye nezibalo ngaphambi kokuzinikela ekuhlaziyweni kwezinto (EFA) kusetshenziswa i-IBM SPSS v27. Ngemuva kwalokho, imodeli yokulinganisa kwesakhiwo (i-SEM) isebenzisa i-IBM SPSS AMOS v27 isetshenziselwe ukuhlola nokuqinisekisa ubudlelwano besakhiwo phakathi kokwakhiwa kocwaningo. Imiphumela ikhombisa ukuthi izici eziyi-shumi nesishagalombili ze-IBL pedagogy ngqo futhi zinomthelela omuhle ekwakhiweni kwamathuluzi wokuhlola asebenzayo ukukala ukufunda nokufeza ukufunda okusebenzayo ezinhlelweni zokwakha eNingizimu Afrika kanye nemibono eyisishiyagalombili phakathi kokuklanywa kokuhlola, izici ze-IBL nokufunda nakho kwasekelwa. Ngemuva kwalokho, kwasungulwa uhlaka lokwakhiwa kokuhlolwa kwe-IBL lwezinhlelo zokwakha ezihlanganisa futhi zihlobanise imicabango yokufunda kanye ne-IBL pedagogy kumkhuba wokwakha nowokufunda. Imodeli yokuhlola inikeza isisekelo kubenzi benqubomgomo, abafundisi, abathuthukisi bekharikhulamu kanye nabanye ababambiqhaza ekuthuthukiseni izinga lemfundo kwezemfundo ngokwakha amathuluzi okuhlola asebenzayo.
An Effective Public Procurement Model for Construction Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises in South Africa.
(2022) Mdadane, Thulani Alfred.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
Public procurement plays a vital role in the economy and public expenditure of any country and serves as an indicator of the effectiveness of a government. Despite the several reforms made to the South African public procurement system and application of supply chain management as a strategic policy strategic instrument, the South African public procurement system has still been strongly criticised for not encouraging the participation of small and medium enterprises. Therefore, this study aims to develop an effective public procurement model for small, medium, and micro enterprises in South Africa. The study further explores the relationship between competitiveness, openness, accountability, transparency, and value for money on effective public procurement. A quantitative method consisting of a questionnaire survey was adopted. A stratified sampling technique was used to select 250 participants for the study. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 27.0, and Analysis of Moment Structures, version 26.0, were used to analyse the data. The results showed that openness, accountability, transparency, and value for money influenced public procurement. Competitiveness, as a factor, however, had no effect on public procurement. The findings revealed that effective public procurement is a four-factor model. The final model revealed that openness, value for money, accountability, and transparency are significant with effective public procurement. Therefore, the identified constructs have a significant direct influence and are determinants of effective public procurement. Also, the goodness of fit and statistical significance of the parameter estimates met the cut-off criteria for the hypothesized model. This study is unique as it contributes to expanding the body of knowledge on the publicprocurement system in South Africa. An important implication of this study is that it contributes to enhancing efficiency in the South African public-procurement system. This study could be used as a tool to encourage the participation of small, medium, and micro enterprises in public procurement. In addition, the value of this study is that it provides mechanisms through which the South African public-procurement system can be improved to eliminate corruption, maladministration, and irregularities. Based on the findings, the recommendation is that the public procurement process comply with procurement regulations to encourage the participation of small, medium, and micro enterprises. ISIZULU: Lolu cwaningo lwakha imodeli yokuthengwa kwempahla yomphakathi esebenzayo yokwakha ama-SMME eNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningo luqhubeka nokuhlola ubudlelwano phakathi kokuncintisana, ukuvuleleka, ukubophezeleka, ukwenza izinto obala kanye nokuthola imali ekuthengeni komphakathi okusebenzayo. Indlela yokulinganisa, equkethe inhlolovo yemibuzo yamukelwa. Indlela esetshenzisiwe yokwenza isampula isetshenziselwe ukukhetha ababambiqhaza abangama-250 ocwaningweni. Kusetshenziswe uhlu lwemibuzo osekuphele isikhathi ukuqoqa imininingwane kubaphenduli. Isoftware ye-IBM SPSS, inguqulo 27.0, ne-AMOS, inguqulo 26.0, isetshenziselwe ukuhlaziya imininingwane. Ukuhlaziywa nokuchazwa kwedatha kwenziwe ngokusebenzisa izibalo ezichazayo. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo ibihambisana nokutholakele ocwaningweni oluningi, ngaphandle kwethonya eliqondile lokuncintisana ekuthengweni kwempahla okusebenzayo yomphakathi akuzange kusekelwe kusampula ocwaningweni. Okutholakele kuveze ukuthi ukuthengwa komphakathi okusebenzayo kuyisibonelo sezici ezine. Imodeli yokugcina iveze ukuthi ukuvuleleka, inani lemali, ukubophezeleka kanye nokwenza izinto obala kubalulekile ekuthengeni komphakathi okusebenzayo. Ukuncintisana kutholakale kungabalulekile. Ngakho-ke, ukwakhiwa okukhonjiwe kunomthelela oqondile oqondile futhi kungukunquma kokuthengwa komphakathi okusebenzayo. Futhi, ubuhle bokubaluleka okufanelekile nezibalo zesilinganiso sepharamitha kuhlangabezane nenqubo yokusika yemodeli ye-hypothesised.
Effectiveness of client involvement in construction projects : a contractor perspective.
(2016) Chigangacha, Progress Shingai.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
construction sector in South Africa is a significant contributor to employment opportunities and economic growth. In the year 2013 alone, R262 billion was spent within the industry. Despite the huge spending, a report by the Construction Industry Development Board indicated that some clients remained dissatisfied with the project outcomes. This was demonstrated after a survey conducted in 2011 found that clients were generally neutral or dissatisfied with the quality of construction on around 20% of all projects, and around 12% of the projects that were surveyed had levels of defects which are regarded as inappropriate. Clients have been argued to be the most important construction industry participants as they initiate and fund the construction process from inception to completion. Therefore, business in the construction industry is about fulfilling client satisfaction. Client satisfaction has been linked to the level of client involvement and control in construction projects. Inadequate level of client involvement, especially during many of the most critical project activities has led to problems experienced on construction projects, some of which hinder project success. These problems include but are not limited to construction disputes, uncertainties in plans and specifications, and delays in giving the contractor vital information or instructions. While effective client involvement in their construction projects is important to achieve a successful project, contractors perceive their involvement as being too low resulting in unsatisfactory project delivery. Therefore, this research aimed to examine the role and effectiveness of client involvement on construction projects from the perspective of contractors. The study investigated the nature of the client, and their involvement in construction projects, at the same time ascertaining how this involvement could impact on the project outcomes, and assessing to what extent a client should be involved in the construction process. The study also assessed whether early client involvement and trust and co-operation between the client and contractor facilitated project success. Based on analysis of data gathered via questionnaire surveys from 101 contractors, 18 consultants and 19 clients, it was found that the significant and dominant usage of the traditional procurement method by both public and private sector clients in South Africa can be confirmed. It was also found that although alternative procurement methods were not widely adopted in South Africa, the private sector was more open and flexible in utilising them, with the next most used methods being the design and build and negotiation. Contractors placed great importance on project stakeholder relations which could be attributed to the shortcomings of the traditional method, which include but are not limited to adversarial relations and high occurrence of misunderstandings and conflicts. Issues of trust, honesty and cooperation in the context of clients underpinned project stakeholder relations and were regarded as vital for project success. In terms of client involvement, this study found that contractors regarded private sector clients to be more frequently involved in their projects than public sector clients. Furthermore, although optimum client involvement across all the project phases is crucial for project success, contractors regarded the pre-construction phase to be a priority phase for client involvement, followed by the post construction phase. The study recommends that public sector clients should be more flexible to adopt the most suitable procurement method instead of relying on the traditional procurement method which might not necessarily be the most appropriate. Alternative procurement arrangements may allow for greater and earlier client involvement in their construction projects.
The effectiveness of contractor development programme in KwaZuluNatal.
(2017) Hadebe, Weziwe Nokukhanya.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
The construction industry in South Africa is a major contributor towards the economic growth. According to the IDC (2016), the construction industry has contributed 9% towards the gross domestic products in 2008, with this figure increasing to 12% towards the gross in 2016. This latest contribution comes from 12 500 construction projects, with majority being government led projects. The government is implementing and awarding tenders in its construction led project through the Contractor Development Programme. The Contractor Development programme was designed specifically to develop previously disadvantaged and marginalised contractors. Despite the increase in the number of government led construction projects, a survey conducted in 2011 indicates that contractors remain dissatisfied with the programme operations. Moreover, during the parliamentary briefing in 2015, it was indicated that more has to be done to support contractors to grow within the programme. In KwaZulu Natal alone, the programme is having 6900 contractors between grades 1 to 3, with majority of these on grade one. It was therefore assumed that while contractor development programmes are important to assist participating contractors to achieve overall improved performance, growth and development, the open access to such programmes by all interested parties is counter-productive resulting in these goals not being achieved. This research therefore aimed at examining if the backlog due to openness of registration on the contractor development programme is in actual fact hindering the development of contractors. The aim was to establish if registration on the contractor development is too open and whether participants are satisfied with growth and developmental aspects of the programme. The study sampled 364 participants who participated in the study .The detailed narrative data was also gathered from six participants who participated in the focus group interviews. The overall research design employed in the investigation of the research problem was triangulated or mixed methods. Based on the inferential, descriptive and thematic analysis conducted, it could be revealed that registration on the contractor development programme is easy and too open to allow access to any contractor, including those without the necessary experience and interest. Contractors indicated overall high satisfaction with system registration. This is indicative of system openness and easiness. The openness increased competition and resulted into the behaviour of opportunistic contractors. The openness resulted in competing for resources such as tenders and training, and it ultimately led to low level of satisfaction with growth and development amongst the contractors. Participants in both data gathering methods indicated limited training, growth and development in the contractor development programme. It was found that being part of the programme does not necessarily translate into increased development. Moreover, poor communication in the programme was indicated to be a major concern for contractors.
An examination of the construction procurement challenges faced by small, micro and medium enterprises in the public sector : a case study of the department of Public Works in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2018) Mdadane, Thulani Alfred.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
The study investigated the procurement challenges faced by SMMEs in the public sector in the Department of Public Works within the eThekwini Metropolitan area in the Kwazulu-Natal province. The research objectives were: to identify challenges faced by SMMEs in accessing procurement opportunities; to establish how government seeks to enhance SMME participation in public procurement; to assess SMME perceptions of effectiveness of the current system of government targeted procurement in the public construction sector and to make recommendations pertaining to the most appropriate approach to assist SMMEs in accessing public procurement opportunities in the construction sector. The study adopted mixed methods approach to investigate the research phenomenon. Phenomenological approach was used as the research philosophy in the investigation of the research phenomenon. The target population was the government officials at Department of Public Works within the eThekwini Metropolitan area and emerging contractors, which were 215. A sample size of 138 respondents was selected using both systematic and purposive sampling techniques. Data collection instruments used were a close and open-ended questionnaires and a semi-structured interviews. A pilot study was conducted before the full-scale investigation took place. The reliability and validity of the research instrument were achieved through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and factor analysis. The data gathered from the respondents were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 25.0. The study found that the challenges confronting the construction SMMEs include government regulations (94.6%), financial related challenges, human resources management related challenges (91.3%), supply chain management related challenges (96.8%) and quality management related challenges (89.9%). The study further found that the construction SMMEs contribute to economic growth through job creation (95.2%), equity redress (93.7%), socio-economic development (89.7%), innovation (91.5%), poverty reduction (93.7%) and income generation (91.7%). The study recommends the following: access to more funding for the construction SMMEs, creation of enabling business environment, flexible government regulations, access to procurement opportunities, access to information, mentorship programmes for emerging contractors and provision of workshops and training and development for emerging contractors.
The impact of government-driven initiatives for the success of small medium enterprises (SMES) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2017) Nhlumayo, Silindile Precious.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
Acknowledging the pivotal role that SME’s play in the economy of any country, the South African government has introduced several initiatives specifically targeted at promoting the attractiveness, growth and sustainability of the SME sector, the effectiveness of which have not been fully evaluated regarding SME’s in the construction sector to determine whether they have achieved the intended outcomes of those initiatives. The aim of this research is to investigate the role played by construction SMEs towards improving the economy of the country. Moreover, the study seeks to establish whether the government initiatives have an impact on the effective performance of construction SMEs and whether they have achieved their intended outcomes in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A quantitative research approach was used using a cross sectional questionnaire survey to collect the data and non-probability sampling technique. A total of 201 questionnaires were distributed to active civil engineering (CE) and general building (GB) SME contractors with grades between 2 to 5 in KwaZulu-Natal selected from CIDB construction register database. The total number of 96 questionnaires were returned, representing 48% of the total that were distributed. Moreover 10 questionnaires were distributed to four government entities and five were returned, representing 50% of the total that was distributed. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25. The results showed that 58.7% of construction SME’s play a pivotal role in employment creation, poverty alleviation, economic growth and balanced society. It also found that 52.7% respondents are aware of Government initiatives, however they are not utilised efficiently. Moreover, the results showed that grades 2 -3 SME contractors are facing more challenges in finance and quality management when compared to grades 4 – 5.
The impact of the construction health and safety regulatory framework on construction costs.
(2016) Hefer, Elke Helene.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
Historically, the construction industry has a poor health and safety (H&S) performance track record, and governments and industry bodies globally acknowledged that construction has an undesirable accident record and that persistently poor H&S records continue to hinder performance improvement. In response, H&S regulations have been introduced and subjected to major revisions during the last four decades as H&S regulations have been seen to be crucial to reducing construction accidents and improving H&S performance overall. Arguably, there has been resistance from the industry to fully implement the provisions of the legislation because of the perception particularly of contractors that the associated costs may result in noncompetitive bidding resulting in lost work opportunities and that there was still non-facilitation of equitable pricing of H&S within the construction industry. Since the introduction of very specific H&S regulations in the South African construction industry, there are, as far as the researcher is aware, very few, if any, studies which have quantified the cost of the implementation of the provisions of this legislation. The research was done to investigate the magnitude of the additional construction costs as a result of the implementation of the provisions of the current H&S regulatory framework in South Africa resulting in all construction project participants not being aware of how much would be adequate for the H&S provisions required. The purpose of the research was to determine whether the H&S framework had requirements that involve cost, whether contractors implemented the requirements of the H&S framework, whether implementation of the H&S framework increased the cost of construction, and to what extent did the implementation of the H&S framework increase the cost of construction. A blended research approach was adopted which included both quantitative and qualitative methods such as questionnaire surveys and case studies which were then triangulated. A sample of 30 contractors were surveyed and 3 organisations were interviewed to determine the impact of the construction health and safety regulatory framework on construction costs. The research was limited because the findings were based on a sample of contractors in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, the study was conducted over a period of twelve months and the study focused on the impact of the H&S regulatory framework implementation by the contractor only. The study did not include H&S costs pertaining to sustainable building, impact on indirect costs related to construction H&S, impact of H&S regulations pertaining to design and build projects and impact of standard forms of contract on the costs related to construction H&S. The findings provide an indication of the trend in financial allowance by industry practitioners for construction health and safety on their projects. The study found that complying with the provisions of the legislative framework namely OHS Act, Construction Regulations and COID, had a moderate impact on the overall cost of construction. The impact had resulted in a reported 10% increase in construction costs. Further, in the absence of specifically accounting for all associated costs related to health and safety it is difficult to accurately determine what the financial provision is and whether the allowances are adequate. The findings indicated that a lack of knowledge of the industry of the necessary financial provision existed for effective management of construction H&S. The study found that many of the construction H&S cost requirements as extrapolated from the legislation were not tracked. The findings of this study have implications for the level of financial provision that is adequate for effective management of construction health and safety. The findings of the study will enable industry stakeholders to have a deeper understanding of the underpinning philosophy of the regulations derived from a combination of prescriptive and performance legislation which will have an impact on the calculation of the cost of compliance. Sustainability of the construction industry will be improved through the understanding and knowledge of the implementation costs of the H&S framework. From the findings of the study, it can be concluded that the H&S framework has requirements that involve cost. However, the knowledge and awareness deficiency results in possible inadequate financial provision for H&S in competitive bids or on projects. Further, clients are not in a position to comply with the framework that requires them to ensure that contractors have made adequate financial provision for H&S because of no uniform approach to allowing contractors to price for H&S.
The impact of theological innovation on the role of the quality surveyor industry.
(2017) Naidoo, Sanjivi.; Haupt, Theodore Conrad.
Rapid advancements in information technology has created a variety of new construction-related software packages and applications that have a significant influence on the role of quantity surveying. The extent of these developments need to be determined, as well as the examination of mitigating influences, which might have an effect on technology usage. The main objectives of this study was to determine whether emergent new technologies duplicated the activities of traditional QSs, and what, if any, areas and services rendered by QSs might be affected if new software packages and applications were embraced. The study examined whether these new technologies were used by QSs in their firms and practices to advance the range of the services they rendered to the construction industry, and whether QSs were embracing their full potential. This study used quantitative methods and utilised questionnaires as the survey instrument for data collection. Relevant previous studies on technology and its potential to affect operations in construction were researched to guide the research design and methods. The collected data were statistically analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v 25. A sample of 178 QSs were drawn from the Durban area who were self-employed QSs as well as QS professionals employed in industry. The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) and the South African Council for Quantity Surveying Professionals (SACQSP) databases provided the contact information of registered QSs practicing in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. QSs without professional affiliations were also surveyed. The findings of the study sought to improve the services currently offered by QSs and the potential of technological advancements and developments. This research found that larger firms in terms of annual turnover, employed more QSs; barriers to new technology adoption created limitations on technology acceptance; and high performance expectancies increased the ease of the use of technology/effort expectancy and subsequent acceptance of new technological advances. Further, the study found that new construction-related software packages and applications did not duplicate and affect the roles, functions, activities and services of traditional QS in the construction sector and that QSs had in fact embraced new technology and the potential it offered. The study also found that the acceptance determinants of technology usage affect the adoption of new technology by QSs, and in particular, social influence and top management support were the primary determinants for user acceptance of new technology in the QS industry. The findings also suggest that qualification has emerged as the biggest agitator to determinants of technology use, and that social influence and top management support are the biggest proponents for user acceptance of new technology in the QS industry; and this requires further investigation.
An improved service delivery model through the implementation of the FIDPM in the South African public sector.
(2021) Sirbadhoo, Neil.; Harinarain, Nishani.
The most import issue in South Africa remains, improving the delivery of public services, as any democratic society needs to exhibit efficient, equitable and accountable public service. Public service delivery challenges still experienced in 2021 were the same raised in previous years regarding capacity and skills shortages with public servants. The main challenge which affects infrastructure management and delivery has been the unevenness in capacity that leads to uneven performance in local, provincial and national government. Although the infrastructure delivery management system (IDMS) has made relatively good progress when implemented through provincial treasuries and provincial departments, it has not been sufficiently institutionalised in most departments. The implementation and sustainability of the IDMS stills remains a challenge. Government through National Treasury has released the Framework for Infrastructure Delivery and Procurement Management (FIDPM) as an initiative towards ensuring a systematic and structured approach for infrastructure procurement and delivery management for the successful delivery of construction projects. The Framework for Infrastructure Delivery and Procurement Management recognises that project management plays a critical role in the delivery of public services in South Africa as all spheres of government structures implement and deliver services. While it is argued, the public sector is less innovative than the private sector, project management plays an important role towards innovative delivery approaches in public service. Arguably the main driver behind the application of project management in government is to improve state institution’s ability to deliver efficient, effective and high-quality services. In the third decade of the countries post-apartheid constitutional democracy, serious concern has been raised about the government and its ability to deliver public services that its citizens are entitled to. The research aimed to develop a model to improve service delivery in the public sector. The aim was achieved through an in-depth literature review to identify factors that drive service delivery on public sector projects. Three drivers (the public sector, government policies, frameworks and the FIDPM, and project management tools and techniques), with 19 unobserved variables and 192 indicators were identified. Through an iterative Delphi technique, a panel of experts was used to validate the factors identified in the literature review. The panel of experts reached consensus after three iterations on 160 items which were grouped under the three drivers. A conceptual model was developed based on the Delphi study. The proposed improved service delivery model was tested nationally using a self-administered survey questionnaire. Four hundred and ten responses were received. Thereafter the model was subjected to attentive multivariate analysis which included exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and path modelling using SPSS version 27 and Amos version 26. The exploratory factor analysis confirmed the drivers, namely, the public sector, government policies, frameworks and the FIDPM, and PM tools and techniques for improved service delivery were valid and reliable and further showed positive and strong relationships to the respective drivers. Thereafter, the confirmatory factor analysis validated the hypothesised factors on the three drivers. Structural equation modelling analysed and assessed the hypothesised path between the drivers and dependent variables in the model for practicality and significance. Out of a total of 22 tested hypotheses, eight (36.36%) were statistically supported. These were presented in a final path diagram which depicted the relationships between the hypothesised paths were practical and significant. The outcomes recorded in this study add to the body of knowledge on an important service delivery framework that is in its infancy of implementation in South Africa. The findings highlighted the role of the public sector and its efforts towards addressing service delivery in South Africa are alarming. However, through numerous policies and frameworks developed by government over the recent decades, service delivery challenges are still present. The implementation of the FIDPM has not yet seen any improvements to service delivery that previous policies and frameworks have failed to address. Project management has been identified as a key area of expertise that may assist government through the application of project management tools and techniques, enhance the implementation of the FIDPM towards improving service delivery on public sector projects.

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