Risk management in the procurement of Community-Based construction projects in Zambia

The need to improve the socio-economic well being of the citizenry has placed huge
challenges on the provision of better social infrastructure in developing countries like
Zambia. To help with meeting the challenges, inputs from local communities have
been incorporated in infrastructure development in Zambia. This arrangement
minimizes construction costs compared to conventional construction modes and also
instills a sense of responsibility in the community. However, the involvement of local
communities in construction introduces a number of risks during the execution of the
projects as the community may not be conversant with construction and the
procedures involved in the procurement process. The consequences of not assessing
and managing construction risks are that projects may experience time and cost
overruns and lead to poor quality structures. This research sought to propose
improvements in the management of community-based projects by identifying the
risks involved at every stage in the procurement of the projects, analyzing them and
developing a risk management model that would improve the implementation of the
projects.The methodology employed in this research included desk study, which involved
literature review of studies and works done in the field of construction risk
management. Group brainstorming sessions with PMCs were conducted to identify
potential risks. A questionnaire survey that sought to validate the findings from the
brainstorming sessions and also to collect data relating to probability and impact of
the identified risks on project objectives was carried out. The risks identified in the
study were classified in six categories namely: project initiation; community
contribution and participation; budget and finance; skilled labour; materials
procurement; and technical supervision and quality control. A risk management
model that could be used in the implementation of community-based projects was developed at the end of the study and validated. The main limitation of the study was that data from other types of construction other than school infrastructure could not be collected.