Performance of Construction Consultants in Addis Ababa: A Study of Current Practices
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Date
2018-04-19
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AAU
Abstract
The Ethiopian construction industry has become a major force in the economic growth of
the country. But it is not functioning at its potential due to numerous issues which
continue to hamper its advancement. Construction stake holders are all responsible in one
way or another for contributing to the challenges that have become the defining
characteristics of the domestic construction sector such as delay, substandard quality,
compromise of health and safety, cost overrun, poor contract administration etc.
But since the consultant usually takes on the tasks of design, supervision, contract
administration and many more duties in projects, and has a higher responsibility and
jurisdiction as compared to other parties, it is logical to infer the performance of the
consultant has a make or break effect on construction projects.
The research assessed this dynamic and found major shortcomings by evaluating local
consultants’ practices according to international practices and experiences. It found that
the level of performance and compliance of local consultants to global professional
practices is at an average to low level and there is a noticeable disregard for
internationally accepted norms. The lowest ranking issues in terms of practice were found
to be construction and contract administration tasks as well as feasibility and scope
definition tasks. In addition, important issues like health and safety, professional
indemnity insurance and environmental and sustainability responsibilities are neglected.
Based on these findings, appropriate actions have been recommended.
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Keywords
construction consultancy, contract administration, Ethiopian construction industry, Ethiopian consultants, performance of consultants, project delivery methods