UCT Open Access Journals (Univ. of Cape Town)
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Editorial
Get PDFThe Journal of African Real Estate Research (JARER) continues to be an exciting outlet for authors across Africa to propagate the results of their research activities. This is the fifth volume and first issue for 2020 as well as the first issue under the stewardship of our reconstituted editorial board. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome them all to the journal and I have no doubt that their expert knowledge and experience will continue to steward the ascension of JARER as the premier publication on real estate related research in the African continent. In other news, we are in the process of developing a special issue highlighting the work of early career female researchers in real estate. Supporting female researchers in real estate is an important agenda for the real estate discipline and is strongly supported by the editorial team. The guest editors for the special issue are Karen Gibler and Geci Karuri-Sebina and publication is planned for April 2021. If you are interested in publishing your work in the special issue, please contact the co-editors or the managing editor
The Construction Subcontracting Policy Framework for Developing Local Contractors Capacities in Zambia
No full textThe Zambian construction industry, like many developing countries, has over the past years experienced an imbalance in the distribution of works between local and foreign contractors. In a bid to bridge the gap, the Government of the Republic of Zambia in 2012 introduced a policy on subcontracting which provided for mandatory subcontracting of 20% of all major contracts to local contractors. There has however been outcries from subcontractors that the policy has not been beneficial. The study sought to investigate subcontracting practices in order to develop a framework for building capacity for local contractors within the construction industry in Zambia. The objective of the study was to explore the regulatory requirements on subcontracting in Zambia and establish the 20% subcontracting policy inadquescies . The study adopted the mixed-method approach in which both semi-structured interviews (main contractors, sub-contractors consultants and project owners) and survey questionnaire were adopted for primary data collection. The questionnaire was distributed to 70 respondents and a response rate of 71% was attained. The investigation was conducted on 40 projects implemented in Zambia between 2012 and 2015. The study established four major deficiencies of the policy which include: subcontractors do not participate early in the procurement process and are introduced after contract is awarded; no clear guidelines on the implementation of the policy; subcontractors do not take part in determining works; and it is difficult to grow capacity of local contractors using the 20% subcontracting policy because contractors engaged to be main on projects do not show interest in developing and building local contractors capacity due to lack of incentives. A framework was developed that can be used to meet the study objectives and that of the policy in subcontracting and reduce the current inadequacies. The study recommended the use of the proposed framework by the government to reduce the current gaps
Influence of Subcontracting Processes on Wages and Workloads in the Building Construction Industry in Nigeria
Get PDFThere is a paucity of information on the experience of subcontracted work despite the widespread use of subcontracting in the building construction industry. This study examined the influence of subcontracting processes on wages and workloads in the building construction industry in Nigeria. Data collection for the study was based on a cross-sectional research design with a survey research strategy, including a structured questionnaire and some key informant interviews. A sample of 908 subcontracted workers was randomly selected from 388 building construction sites in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data obtained from the structured questionnaire were subjected to descriptive statistics and regression analysis, while an ethnographic technique was used to analyze the data from the interviews. The regression results (β = –0.046; p < 0.05) showed that to some extent subcontracting processes significantly influenced workers’ participation in wage determination; and that the regression results (β = –0.040; p < 0.05) revealed that to some extent subcontracting processes significantly influenced workers’ participation in the determination of workloads in the building construction industry in Nigeria. Wages and workloads are inappropriate when the degree of influence of the subcontracting process on workers' participation in the determination of wages and workloads in the building construction industry is considered. These findings imply that working in a subcontracting system could promote the alienation of subcontracted workers from the determination of wages and workloads, thereby showing the need for adequate protection for the affected workers. Therefore, the subcontracted workers in Lagos state should strengthen their associations to achieve justice and decent work in the building construction industry.
Keywords: Building Construction; Subcontracted Workers; Wages; Workload
The PropTech Revolution: The Imperatives for Nigeria’s Estate Surveying and Valuation Professionals to Catch Up or Get Left Behind
Get PDFInformation and Communication Technology (ICT) has become the bedrock of modern societies with activities being streamlined to technologically meet the needs of individuals willing to adopt it in their day-to-day lives. The emergence of ICT has influenced the activities of real estate practitioners all over the world. Despite sectoral shifts and the introduction of innovative technologies, real estate professionals have been quite conservative towards industry modernisation (whether it is information provision, transaction or management), which threatens to limit their influence in society. PropTech, or property technology, has commanded this movement by promising more efficient portfolio management, faster ways of renting accommodation and more accurate techniques of carrying out property appraisals. It has provided innovative solutions for an industry yearning for change. This paper, therefore, describes the emerging property technology industry known as PropTech. It illustrates how its development has brought changes to global perceptions of real estate. The paper also critically examines the challenges that Nigerian estate surveyors and valuers face in the advent of fast-paced information technology. It strongly proposes that professionals must learn to utilise this emerging trend or face becoming redundant in the real estate industry
Psychological safety and team learning during a problem-solving game for staff at a South African hospital
Get PDFSouth Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) program promises to be the vehicle of universal health coverage for the country by 2030. In public healthcare organizations, which are already challenged by under-resourcing and staff shortages, the demands of NHI place a heavy burden on the healthcare workers tasked with managing the associated system changes and delivering services to program specifications. As teams are the units tasked with driving organizational adaptivity and performance in the healthcare sector globally, effective teams are critical for successful NHI implementation. We explore a cost-effective intervention for promoting teamwork in the public healthcare system. A problem-solving game called the marshmallow challenge was used as an experimental intervention at an NHI pilot site, a provincial district hospital, where staff were already familiar with the impending challenges of change management. A qualitative post-game survey was administered to gather data on the experiences of 100 participating hospital staff. Groups also engaged in a post-game reflective discussion. We examine the individuals’ experiences of the game in order to establish how interventions of this kind can empower healthcare workers to practice effective teamwork and team learning and how a psychologically safe environment can be cultivated
Addressing Constraints for Effective Project Finance for Infrastructure Projects in Emerging Economies – the Case of Zimbabwe
Get PDFThe infrastructure deficit in developing countries is vast and current developmental initiatives fail to meet the requirements. There is a need for housing, clean water, sewerage facilities, transport and telecommunications infrastructure. The development of infrastructure requires large amounts of funding, which could be a project or non-recourse finance. The levels of project finance allocated to developing countries are much smaller compared to the developed world. The purpose of this paper is to determine the critical success factors for accessing project finance for infrastructure development in a developing country, Zimbabwe. This study employed the quantitative approach using a survey questionnaire to address various aspects that are important when lenders advance project finance. The questionnaire was distributed to participating organizations comprised of lenders, borrowers and investors with the higher numbers being borrowers. These organizations include banks in Zimbabwe that offer project finance for infrastructure, Pension funds which invest in infrastructure, Multilateral agencies operating in Zimbabwe, and Municipalities of major cities in Zimbabwe. The interrater reliability of the individual factors was calculated. Also, the aggregate interrater reliability for the different attributes was determined using Cronbach's alpha value. A total of 33 factors under five attributes were identified: governmental, financing, project, special purpose vehicle, and politics and economics were identified as being critical for accessing project finance. These factors were ranked according to their significance index or importance. Only 12 factors were considered as extremely important as critical success factors for project financing in Zimbabwe. The contribution of this study is to provide government, project finance agencies, private sector and other stakeholders interested in infrastructure projects with a list of the most important critical success factors for infrastructure projects in a developing country
Nuances of Compulsory Land Acquisition and Compensation in Botswana: The Case of the Pitsane-Tlhareseleele Road Project
Get PDFFor years compensation has been awarded for compulsory land acquisition in Botswana and land acquisition for infrastructure projects is typically accompanied by dissatisfaction by displaced families. This is particularly the case on communal/customary land where affected parties tend to have an unclear understanding of the legal procedures that govern and inform acquisition and compensation. Often these issues of dissatisfaction relate to the misinterpretation of the legal frameworks. However, limited research has been conducted to examine the perceptions of the displaced persons and the expropriating authority as to the adequacy of the compensation payment. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how they are interpreted by each party to identify how they can be improved to better align with both parties. This paper seeks to examine the views of both the affected persons (occupying customary land) as well as the expropriating authorities (expropriating the land) in a bid to inform policy and practice, and to contribute to existing debates on compensation for expropriation. A case of the Pitsane-Tlhareseleele road project where portions of land were expropriated from customary land holders was used. Data were collected through key informant interviews and document analysis. The results of this study revealed differences between the perceptions of affected people and those of the expropriating authority. Government officials believed that the compensation offered was satisfactory, as everything was prepared in keeping with the provisions of the law. However, the affected persons were of the view that the compensation they received was not satisfactory, even though the compensation was paid in accordance with the existing statutory framework. The study concluded that this difference in perception emanates from the use of different yardsticks to measure adequacy. These differences in perception could be minimised if the existing statutes are amended to make it mandatory for the affected people to be actively involved in the property valuation process
A Review of the Property Data Challenge in Nigeria
Get PDFData on Nigeria’s property sector tends to be inadequate and inaccessible. While the government produces statistics for its own activities, such as GDP and inflation rates, other sectors function with insufficient information. This is particularly true for Nigeria’s property sector and its data which have been given a lesser status despite an increasing economic importance for investment opportunity, GDP contribution and attraction of foreign investment funds. The gap in data creates a challenging situation for property valuers, but also, an opportunity for property researchers. This paper, which reviews existing literature on the subject, is a contribution to the debate as well as an effort towards a solution. The literature stipulates that poor accessibility to property data leads valuers to enact coping mechanisms rather than best practice and that property data is synonymous with market transactions which makes it invaluable to valuers. Also, there is a convergence of views in the reviewed literature that a central data bank offers opportunities for a solution. Conversely, it is here argued that focusing on market transactions is a narrow understanding of data as property data extends beyond such transactions. This school of thought believes that the users and uses of property transaction data extend beyond valuers and valuations and that the central data bank recommendation requires examination as to its feasibility. Accordingly, this paper broadens the definition of property data by recognising the existence of non-market data, by identifying its other users and uses as well as its role in socio-economic policies. The considerable doubts associated with the central data bank recommendation leads the study to make recommendations which are novel, but nevertheless, hold holistic methods for addressing Nigeria’s property data challenge
Human-centered design for medical devices and diagnostics in global health
Get PDFSo much lifesaving medical technology exists in the world, yet so little of it benefits communities with low resources. Purchase price is only one barrier. The World Health Organization found nearly three quarters of devices provided by industrialized countries are not used when they reach low resource communities. Most medical devices and diagnostics fail to operate effectively in environments with power fluctuations, high temperatures, high humidity, dust, insect infiltration, poor availability of spare parts, high-cost consumables, and low staff-to-patient ratio. To provide robust, well-designed products for low-resource environments, devices need to be developed to address the needs of the local clinics, hospitals, and communities. Human-Centered Design (HCD) is a set of tools, processes, and mindsets that can help a team uncover the essential needs of diverse stakeholders involved in the success of medical technology for global health. This paper provides an overview of the HCD techniques we have found most useful in developing medical technology for global health applications. To illustrate the HCD techniques and their benefits, we present a case study of Design that Matters’ Firefly phototherapy. The device is now treating newborn jaundice in low-resource hospitals in over 20 low and middle-income countries