FRAMEWORK FOR THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF BUILDING REGULATIONS AND POLICIES – THE CASE OF SUB-SAHARA AFRICAN COUNTRIES

Description

Many authors and researchers persistently observe that laws and regulations developed often fail to yield the expected objectives. Several studies have revealed that the failure to reach the initial objective is often due to the inadequacy of the implementation strategies adopted once those laws and regulations are published and adopted. That shortcoming is further enhanced in developing countries, particularly in innovative fields such as sustainable buildings. It is in that context that a research project was conducted in order to specifically appraise the implementation of building policies in developing African countries and to develop a scientific instrument that could increase their effectiveness. This book presents the resulting Framework for effective implementation of Building Policies, laws and Regulations (FEIBPLR) in developing sub-Sahara African countries. The framework is rooted within the RIBA Plan of work 2010 vastly used within the construction industry of several developed nations as well as on the literature submissions on policy development and theories of policy implementation. Also, in the development process, consideration was given to the interactions amongst various stakeholders, culture and sociopolitical institutions. It is submitted that the analysis exercise of the data gathered has contributed in identifying the sources of vulnerabilities in the effectiveness of the implementation of the developed regulations and policies in the building construction sector. Those vulnerabilities include amongst others institutional corruption, ignorance of laws and policies, insufficient technical knowledge and confusing policies and confusing responsibilities. We conclude that the interaction between key stakeholders and the rigorous use of prescribed documents can strengthen the robustness of the implementation process and yield a better implementation and compliance rate in the building construction field. The framework developed and presented here provide suitable strategies for reaching that aim.