Action 2: Procurement Plan Implementation

The following was undertaken during this project phase;

4.3.3.1 Diagnosing

The diagnosis related to the risks associated with the three project constraints of time, quality and cost. This action was derived from the data obtained from the focus group participants who indicated that material related risks such as wrong orders, delays in the ordering of material and the problems of exchanging the wrong material for the correct material caused so much delay and this had an effect on time and cost constraints. it was also noted that one of the risks which had an impact on the time constraint was the late delivery or non-delivery of materials to site. Also diagnosed as a potential risk was that some sub-contractors did not possess the required competencies and experience to execute certain project tasks or activities. This was because their employees either lacked the required skills, expertise and experience demanded by the project for the respective activities. This was in accordance with the information gathered from the workshop with focus groups and also data analysed from literature review (Thomas, 2013; Bilau, 2015).

4.3.3.2 Action Planning

The action plan involved a strategy aimed at ensuring that:

a) Procurement for all sub-contracted services was done through closed tender from sub- contractors who met the minimum conditions set-out in the contract document and supported by various statutory certification such as Cidb grading, NHBRC and the desired experience verified by at least three references.

b) Reviewing and developing a material schedule log which specifies the type of material to be ordered, quantity, minimum stock level to order and current stock quantities. c) Verifying qualifications, skills, competencies and experience submitted by every sub-

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4.3.3.3 Action Taking

During this phase, the researcher undertook the following activities;

a) Technical specifications in the main tender document were reviewed and summarised in point form by the researcher in his capacity as project manager. This was followed by an audit of the main contractor as well as all sub-contractors appointed to the project for various work such as electrical, plumbing, brick-laying, roofing, paving, steel fabrication, ironmongery and carpentry to ensure that the main contractor and all sub- contractors appointed for the various trades were compliant with the provisions of the tender(contract) document. The parties who were verified to be compliant were approved and instructed by the project manager to continue with the provision of their services to the project while those who were non-compliant were given 14 days to correct their respective defects and comply with the provisions prescribed in the tender(Contract) document.

The audit by the project manager revealed that, three out of the eight brick-laying sub- contractors were non-compliant one out of the three paving sub-contractors were non-compliant and two out of the five roofing sub-contractors were non-compliant. All the six non-compliant sub-contractors were given 14 days to remedy their compliance defects. Seven days after the date of the notice, five sub-contractors presented their compliance documents to the project manager, who reinstated the sub-contractors with immediate effect upon the successful assessment of the compliance documents re-submitted.

b) An audit of all materials in stock as well as all the material requirements for the following three months was conducted. This process involved the proper recording of codes for the different material as specified in the Bill of Quantities (BoQ). Potential suppliers for materials were identified and three quotations for every material item were sourced and compared for price, quality, availability and lead delivery time. The suppliers who offered the most convenient service at a competitive rate were selected and shortlisted. Orders with a lead time of between 20 and 30 days were immediately placed. Coded storage and a Site Materials Accounting System (SMAS) were designed, developed and put in place.

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c) All qualifications, skills and experiences of the main contractor, sub-contractors and their respective employees were reviewed and verified through a referencing system. The institutions which issued the certificates were contacted to verify the authenticity of the various certifications held by respective employees of the main contractor and sub-contractors. All former employers cited by employees were also contacted to verify the period of service, work attributes and competencies including work experience. This was also done in all sub-contractor firms to verify the information supplied by both the sub-contractors and their respective employees about places where certain experiences supplied in the contract documents were gained.

4.3.3.4 Evaluation

The researcher evaluated the outcome of action 4.3.3.3 and noted that the intervention had a positive effect on the project and in the process, improved quality, saved time and also saved funds through the prevention of placing orders for wrong materials as well as time wasted on returns of wrong material for replacement with correct material. This was only in cases where the material was not custom made such as steel which was ordered and cut according to the specifications provided by the contractor. In such cases, it was considered as a waste of funds as such expenditure was regarded as a sunk cost which was not recoverable and accounted for an increase in the project budget.

4.3.3.5 Analysis and Specified Learning

The lesson drawn from the implementation of the procurement plan indicated that it was important to put in place all measures prescribed in the tender (contract) document on basic skills requirements for the project labour force. The action implemented also highlighted the need for contract management to be complied with on the project especially the strict adherence to auditing of qualifications, skills and experience. Interventions on the procurement of sub-contractors and material logistics was also identified as an area which required effective management to ensure that the procurement related risks were managed and prevented from occurring.