Bidding Considerations in Developing Countries
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 124, Issue 3
Abstract
Developing countries pose greater challenges to international construction contractors because of inherent risks such as government instability, shortages of adequately trained craftsmen, difficulty in acquiring needed materials, and lack of adequate infrastructure such as roads, bridges, harbors, and power generation facilities. The international construction market is continuously growing, and there are many opportunities for U.S. contractors to obtain additional work and improve profits. This paper describes characteristics of developing countries that should be of interest to any contractor considering projects in these parts of the world. Additionally, results from a study identify the top information requirements in 15 key areas, which architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms identified. A discussion of characteristics of the construction environment in Kenya is provided as an example of bidding considerations in a typical developing country.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
“A greener hue for development aid.” (1987). The Economist, Vol. 302, March 28, 69.
2.
Coukis, B. P., and Grimes, O. F.(1980). “Labor-based civil construction.”Finance and Devel., 17(1), 32–35.
3.
Economic survey 1995, Republic of Kenya. (1996). Central Bureau of Statistics, Nairobi, Kenya.
4.
Elinwa, A. U., and Buba, S. A.(1993). “Construction cost factors in Nigeria.”J. Constr. Engrg. and Mgmt., ASCE, 119(4), 698–713.
5.
Henriod, E. E., et al. (1984). The construction industry: issues and strategies in developing countries. World Bank, Washington, D.C.
6.
Investment Promotion Center (IPC). (1996). Kenya: a guide for investors, Nairobi.
7.
Jaselskis, E. J. (1994). “Informational requirements for developing an international agribusiness database.”Final Rep., Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), Iowa State University.
8.
Joint Building Council (JBC). (1996). “Fluctuation clause price list, Nairobi zone.” Architectural Association of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.
9.
Koehn, Enno, Kothari, R. K., and Pan, C.-S.(1995). “Safety in developing countries: professional and bureaucratic problems.”J. Constr. Engrg. and Mgmt., 121(3), 261–265.
10.
Merriam, A. H. (1988). “What does Third World mean?”The Third World states of mind and being, J. Norwine and A. Gonzalez, eds., Unwin Hyman, Boston, Mass., 15–22.
11.
Nafziger, W. E. (1984). The economics of developing countries. Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, Calif.
12.
“National Development Plan (1997–2001).” Republic of Kenya (1997). Printing by the Kenyan Government, Nairobi, Kenya.
13.
Ruvkun, S.(1981). “Construction experience in Latin America.”J. Constr. Engrg. and Mgmt., 107(2), 313–322.
14.
Simpson, E. S. (1987). The developing world: an introduction. Longman Scientific and Technical; Essex, England. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York.
15.
Spence, R. J., and Cook, D. J. (1983). Building materials in developing countries. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y.
16.
Staab, G. E.(1989). “Construction of port and facilities on horn of Africa—lessons learned.”J. Constr. Engrg. and Mgmt., 115(1), 53–69.
17.
“Statistical abstract 1995, Republic of Kenya.” (1996). Central Bureau of Statistics, Nairobi, Kenya.
18.
Talukhaba, A. A. (1997). “An investigation into factors causing construction project delays, a case study of high-rise projects in Nairobi,” PhD thesis, University of Nairobi, Kenya. (preliminary draft).
19.
Todaro, M. P. (1985). Economic development in the Third World. Longman, Inc., New York, N.Y.
20.
Wells, J. (1986). The construction industry in developing countries: alternative strategies for development. Croom Helm and Billing & Sons, Ltd., London, England.
21.
Wells, J. (1993). “Appropriate building technologies: an appraisal based on case studies on building projects in Senegal and Kenya.”Constr. Mgmt. and Economics, II, 203–216.
22.
Wolf, L. G. (1988). “The poorest of all of us.”The Third World states of mind and being, J. Norwine and A. Gonzalez, eds., Unwin Hyman, Boston, Mass., 99–111.
23.
World almanac and book of facts. (1997). World Almanac Books, K3 Reference Corporation.
24.
World Bank. (1981). The road maintenance problem and international assistance. World Bank, Washington, D.C.
25.
Zuvekas, C. Jr. (1979). Economic development: an introduction. St. Martin's Press, New York, N.Y.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: May 1, 1998
Published in print: May 1998
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.