Browsing by Author "KOMBE, Nathan"

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    Understanding how the Construction Industry Growth influences the quality of Engineering Services in Zambia
    (2026) KOMBE, Nathan
    Among other organizations, the National Council for Construction, NCC, is one of the main organizations governing the engineering sector in Zambia. Some of their duties include, the registration of all construction companies operating in Zambia, monitoring of projects, enforcement of regulations and training of technical personnel. The rapid growth occurring in the engineering sector has introduced a number of concerns in the quality of work being executed in Zambia; abandoned projects, increased reworks and repairs, structural flaws and other key quality issues. This study intended to understand how the construction industry growth influences the quality of engineering services in Zambia. Hence, the objectives of this study included, to explore how the registration of construction companies with NCC influences the quality of engineering services in Zambia, to understand the role of governing bodies in enforcing compliance and to explore the adequacy of Continuous Professional Development, CPD, by NCC. The study utilized the Qualitative approach to understand the reasons behind the problem. To do this, a historical design had to be used to provide quality information to the study. Data collection was done using semi-structured interview guides. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. The study found that the current registration process has not been very efficient. New entry companies have flooded the sector and have not been thoroughly processed before confirmation. The rapid increase of companies and increased number of national projects has been overwhelming for the existing NCC systems and resources. This has hindered many compliance enforcement activities, as well as the expansion of CPD programs. The findings indicate that, construction companies are underbidding for projects, compromising on quality of labour and material being used, and simply avoiding complying with regulations. The study recommended that the NCC systems need to be upgraded, with new regulations and modern technology. It was further recommended that the NCC requires an increase of manpower, transportation modalities, finances and other resources. The study provided understanding of quality regulations and filled the knowledge gap associated with the effects of industry growth on quality. Key Words: Company Registration, Sector growth, Regulation Compliance, skills training, Construction