An investigation into factors that contributed to time and cost overruns in road construction projects in Namibia (2008 2013)

Abstract

Namibia is a developing country with an ambitious policy to improve its road infrastructure in order to alleviate poverty through, among other activities, employment creation and provision of all-weather and reliable access to hospitals, schools, markets and other social amenities. Above all, Namibia is striving to integrate with the rest of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and realize some of the potential traditional economic benefits that come with such investment. Much to the major stakeholders’ disappointment, Namibia has not been spared from excessive cost and time overruns associated with infrastructure development projects in general and road construction in particular. The aim of this study was to investigate what factors significantly contributed to cost and time overruns in the implementation of road infrastructure projects with specific focus on projects carried out between 2008 and 2013. This period also coincides with the roll-out and implementation of Namibia’s Third National Development Plan (NDP3).