Understanding the risk in South African construction projects - a case of the Western Cape

Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation is to understand the risk in South African construction projects that affect the achievement of objectives, with respect to time, cost and quality. Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive review of Risk management and construction risks in South Africa and abroad was conducted. This was followed by a review of construction risks in the Western Cape from a perspective, using the Repertory Grid Analysis Technique (RGT) methodology. The results of the RGT were then analysed against the preceding literature to draw inferences and conclusions. Findings: This study has provided insight to the risks that hinder the realisation of project objectives in the Western Cape, through the Triad and Elicitation process of the Repertory Grid Technique. The identified risks were categorized in groups based on their similarity and the groups ranked in order of frequency and importance as follows: labour, material, selected subcontractor, programme and scheduling and client. Originality/Value: The research represents one of the few attempts to understand construction risks utilising the RGT, thus forming a valued contribution to the project management database