Framework for effective management of cost toward sustainable housing delivery

Abstract

The study developed an operational techniques for construction managers toward achieving affordable housing production process. This will alter the conventional practices of housing delivery in South Africa. Thus, housing will be available and affordable for all people irrespective of income. In South Africa, high construction cost is a huge challenge toward the possibility of providing affordable housing delivery to the country’s citizens. This inability to provide inexpensive housing consistently is due to deficiencies in production techniques. Thus, achieving quality housing delivery requires skilful management. The deficiencies occur through unsustainable design practices in the use of construction resources, construction cost issues, frequent changes in design issues, matching resources availability with cost and time management problems, and attitude of stakeholders in sourcing cost efficient resources for use on site. This problem denies low-income earners the ability to purchase personal houses. As such, the research gap for this study was identified. In order to adequately resolve this problem, operational techniques for effective management of cost toward sustainable housing delivery is investigated, “To develop the framework for effective management of cost toward sustainable housing delivery, and empirically validate it”. This will, consequently, raise the hope of poor people in accessing affordable housing steadily and continuously within their income. The objectives of this study inspired the methodology applied toward ensuring that appropriate management techniques of construction cost lead to sustainable housing delivery for people, irrespective of their income levels. This approach aids competent evaluation and determination of resolutions for the challenges of sustainable housing delivery, together with the problem of shortage of low-cost housing in South Africa. Furthermore, the conceptual framework for this study was developed through extensive review of literature concerning the historical background of housing delivery in South Africa, including areas such as cost constraint issues, design and management issues, settlement issues, sustainable construction and teamwork on site, for example. Explanatory sequential mixed method was adopted in achieving the aim and objectives of this study. This method facilitates the preliminary investigation of the high cost of construction toward delivery of sustainable housing through interviews, validating the concept in the conceptual framework. In addition, a quantitative questionnaire was distributed to collect relevant data for this study. Respondents were selected and screened based on their relevance toward this study. Data collected from the construction operators were analysed via the application of descriptive statistics with the use of MonteCarloPA and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results obtained were validated through a qualitative process, with collected qualitative data transcribed and analysed using the content analysis method. Spearman’s rho correlation and logistic regression analysis were used to determine variables that predicted cost increase as a result of constant variation and housing delivery within a stipulated period. This process facilitates the development of the framework for effective management of cost toward sustainable housing delivery. Findings deduced demonstrate that availability of skilled workers on site enhances affordable housing delivery, including the establishment of standard design to promote affordable housing delivery, and planning of increased workforce productivity to achieve sustainable housing delivery. Advisably, teamwork must be thoroughly planned among workers while implemented at each phase of housing production. Further findings illustrate the variables that predicted cost increase and housing delivery within a stipulated period. Other relevant findings show that factors like economic instability, stakeholder interests, and inappropriate definition of labour affect housing delivery. The study established a framework of factors that will be used by construction operators to achieve cost effective production processes for affordable housing delivery and to develop affordable housing delivery concept planning and design for construction cost reduction. The required sustainability techniques established by the study will curb the shortage of affordable housing delivery and the over-budgeting that has escalated the unaffordable housing crises for the people of South Africa. The study recommended that government must allow community participation in the housing production scheme from the inception of the project to the delivery of housing. This can be achieved by organising relevant and comprehensive training to guide the community involvement in the inspection of the project, toward off any unnecessary delay and encourage utilisation of the local materials with employment of the local skilled workers.