Resident satisfaction as a project quality measure : the case of Nova Vida housing project, Angola

Abstract

Towards the end of the 1975-2002 civil war, Luanda, the capital of Angola, experienced unprecedented urban growth. The pressure to reduce the housing backlog gave rise to large scale governmental residential development initiatives such as the Nova Vida housing project. Although the project experienced minor cost and schedule overruns the key question remains as to whether or not the project met the desired quality parameters in terms of resident satisfaction. As part of overall project quality performance measurement and continuous improvement cycle procedures, a post-project evaluation was done to investigate the level of satisfaction of the Nova Vida residents with their homes. A questionnaire was distributed among the Nova Vida residents measuring four factors namely (i) house design and architecture, (ii) house functionality, (iii) accessibility, and (iv) neighbourhood and community amenities. From the results it was possible to assess that the main concerns related to design, planning and urban management of infrastructure, public services and utilities. In general dissatisfaction is significantly higher for apartment residents than for house residents. The objective of providing safe, practical and comfortable living space was achieved. The results provided insight into the experiences of the Nova Vida occupants and are valuable input towards improving the planning, design and quality of future government housing projects.