AS 2011 Volume 18 Issue 2

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http://hdl.handle.net/11660/2501

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Browsing AS 2011 Volume 18 Issue 2 by Author "Smallwood, John"

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    Preferential procurement in the public sector: the case of Amathole
    (University of the Free State, 2011) Smallwood, John; Ncunyana, Nceba; Emuze, Fidelis
    English: The end of the apartheid era in South Africa ushered in a new institutional environment through changes to legislative frameworks in government depart-ments. A key aspect of the transformation is the economic empowerment of the mainly historically disadvantaged groups in the country through procurement. The thrust of the issue is the assessment of the extent of compliance with Act No. 5 of 2000: Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA), 2000 at government departments, with particular focus on the Amathole region of the Eastern Cape Province. The assessment was undertaken in a qualitative and quantitative research study conducted among key construction industry stakeholders such as public-sector clients, architects, engineers, and quantity surveyors based within the Amathole region. Selected findings include that there is a perceived low level of awareness of preferential procurement in the public sector as the majority of the institutions investigated have not completely implemented procurement responsibilities as a dedicated function within their organisations. Another significant finding arising from the study is that there are conflicting perceptions among consultants regarding procurement strategies for different types of project.
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    A systems thinking approach to eliminate delays on building construction projects in South Africa
    (University of the Free State, 2011) Aiyetan, Olatunji; Smallwood, John; Shakantu, Winston
    English: It is obvious that the performance of firms and their market competitiveness hinge on project delivery time. Many approaches have been used to reduce the effect of the potential factors of delay on project delivery time. In this study, the systems approach has been employed and validated. Inferential statistical analysis was conducted to analyse eighty-eight questionnaires returned during the primary study and twenty-four during the validation phase. The holistic role of professionals in the construction industry was illustrated with the aid of causal loop analysis, showing cause and effect relationships. Based on the findings that eight out of the twelve categories of problems of delays are construction-related, the study identified seven stages of construction project delivery and various activities in these stages that could reduce the negative influence of delay factors on project delivery time. The interventions category, which has the most influence on the elimination of delays in project delivery, occurs during the construction stage, followed by interventions during the briefing/design stage. The interventions category with the least influence is pre-qualification of suppliers. The study recommends that adequate planning, pre-qualification of suppliers, provision of work schedule, and prompt payment of interim certificates be focused on to mitigate delays in project delivery time. Furthermore, the following courses should be included in all built-environment education programmes: operational planning; quality; design, and generic management.
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    Technology management in construction: lessons for the practice of architecture
    (University of the Free State, 2011) Fouche, Heather; Smallwood, John; Emuze, Fidelis
    English: The relevance of managing technology to architectural practices in South African construction cannot be overemphasised. As major stakeholders in the construction industry with particular significant contributions in the property sector, practising architects cannot afford not to exploit old technologies, and embrace new technologies with a view to improving their business and competitiveness. The thrust of the issue addressed in this article is the assessment of the status accorded to issues relating to technology in the form of a technology audit and/or management in architectural practices. In furtherance of this issue, a quantitative survey was conducted among Eastern Cape-based South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) registered architects. Selected findings include that respondents perceived that there are no barriers to communication in organisations as technology does not only form part of the organisational business strategy, but also benefits project partners during implementation. In addition, with the use of office technologies, management is able to forecast and plan future requirements for their practices, while marketing-related technologies allow the closing of identified performance gaps as well as the development of best practices by the firms. Therefore, periodical technology audits are recommended for practices intending to remain competitive in the market.