Effect of client regulations upon the quantity surveyors role in controlling project

Abstract EN

Throughout the world, Quantity Surveyors are working on projects as diverse as housing, commercial property developments, hospitals, mosques, highways, dams and airports.

Whenever any building project is proposed, it is important that the cost involved is known in advance.

These include site preparation cost, construction, labor, material and plant costs, professional fees, taxes and other charges as well as the likely running and maintenance costs for the new building.

The Quantity Surveyor is trained to evaluate these costs and to advise on alternative proposals.

This research reports on the finding of an empirical study of 900 cases representing the payment documents for the projects of 2005 within a big client governmental organization in The United Arab Emirates.

It shows that the release period of the payment documents is double the allowed period.

It was aimed to find out the main reason for that phenomenon.

The findings showed that the role of the quantity surveyor was the key factor; therefore, a review of the relevant literature was undertaken prior to the preparation of the new system for evaluating the quantity surveyors who will join the organization’s staff or those who will be hired by the consultants supervising the projects owned by the organization.

The study also showed that the international organizations such as universities and societies are having separate divisions for the quantity surveying profession which is not the case in the Arab countries including Egypt.

Many steps are required from the academic and profession institutions in Egypt and the Arab countries regarding the strengthening of the quantity surveyor role through academic syllabuses, codes of practices, contractual documents … etc.