Assessment of performance of road maintenance local contractors in Uganda: a case of Uganda National Roads Authority Lira station

Abstract

Road maintenance is essential in order to preserve the road in its originally constructed condition, protect adjacent resources and ensure user safety in Uganda. However, there has been inadequate improvement in the road sector evidenced by some of the roads being poorly maintained in terms of surface quality, markings and signs, and the government is still losing billions of shillings in shoddy works and services being delivered by road maintenance local contractors, thereby increasing maintenance backlog. The study assessed the performance of road maintenance local contractors in Uganda using a case study of Uganda National Roads Authority Lira Station. From targeted population of 103 respondents, a sample size of 87 respondents was selected using random and purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected using questionnaires and statically analyzed. Relative importance index (RII) was used to determine critical factors affecting the performance of road maintenance local contractors. Through literature review and document analysis, critical factors affecting the performance of road maintenance contractors were identified. These factors were ranked using RII for developing a framework to enhance performance of road maintenance local contractors. The study results indicated that respondents regarded contractor’s managerial skills (RII= 0.1088), followed by contractor’s financial capacity (RII= 0.893), contractor’s experience (RII= 0.855), cost factors (RII= 0.854), technology (RII= 0.846), procurement process on contractors selection (RII= 0.845), time factors (RII= 0.839), health & safety standards (RII= 0.838), and design changes (RII= 0.828) as the critical factors affecting performance of road maintenance local contractors. A framework was developed to indicate that the planning phase of road maintenance projects depends on; contractor’s managerial skills, and contractor’s level of experience. Implementation phase of road maintenance projects by local contractors was found to depend on; level of contractor’s financial capacity, cost factors, procurement process on contractors selection, level of health & safety standards, time factors, and design changes. The study concluded that contractor’s managerial skills was the most impactful factor on performance of road maintenance local contractors in Uganda. The study recommended that more focus should be put on contracts managerial skills since it had the greatest impact on Local Contractor’s performance. Keywords: Critical factors, Performance, Local contractors, Road maintenance.