Abstract
M.Tech. (Construction Management)
Contractor development programmes (CDPs) are aimed at creating an enabling environment for the continued existence and sustainability of small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) contractors. Literature shows that the views of beneficiaries of these CDPs have not been sufficiently evaluated to access their effect. The purpose of this study was to establish from the beneficiaries what their expectations of the CDPs are and whether they believed the CDPs are meeting those expectations.
A questionnaire survey, consisting of closed-ended as well as open-ended questions, was administered to, and structured interviews were conducted with the respondents to establish their views on the CDPs and whether they have benefited from the CDPs. Based on the findings, recommendations were made on how CDPs could be improved.
The study showed that the beneficiaries were fairly satisfied with the CDPs and regarded them as adding some value to their upgrade and sustainability; however, gaps exist within the CDPs that require the implementing agencies’ attention to ensure the successful implementation of the CDPs. Evidence from the study showed that CDPs which had a strong mentorship programme also had a higher number of contractor upgrades. Information from interviews also revealed that contractors believed that continuous mentorship programmes would be the solution to the lack of CDPs performance. Therefore continuous contractor mentorship (CCM) programmes were found to be vital to a successful CDP and these were found to be lacking in most South African CDPs. Therefore the study will aid in improving the quality of the CDPs and achieving their goals of developing a contractor. The research focused on contractors as a whole who had undergone the CDPs and did not separate them into their fields of specialities such as general building, engineering or specialised contractors. The questionnaire survey was conducted only in the Gauteng Province of South Africa and not the entire country.