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1
THE LEVEL OF SUPERVISION AND QUALITY OF BUILDING
SRUCTURES IN NAKASONGORA DISTRICT
ACASE STUDY OF LWABYATA SUB-COUNTY
BY
BAGUMA ABEL
07/U/4744/EXT
FACILITATED BY
MR: MBIDDE HENRY
A RESEARCH REPORT SUBMITED TO MAKERERE NIVERSITY
AS PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE AWARD OF BACHALOR OF COMMERCE DEGREE
MAY 2011
i
DECLARATION
I Baguma Abel declare that this research report is my original work and has never been
submitted to any University or institute award of a degree
Signed……………………………............. Date ……………………………..
MR.BAGUMA ABEL
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APPROVAL
This is to satisfy that Baguma Abel carried out a study on level of supervision and
building structures under UPE in Lwabyata sub-county Nakasongola District.
Signed ……………………………………… Date …………………………
MR. MBIDDE HENRY
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DEDICATION
This research work has been dedicated to my wife Nakalanzi Irene, my children Baguma
Gavin and Bayes Clare
iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
My appreciation goes to the almighty God who has enabled me to reach were I am.
Special thanks go to my supervisor Mr. Mbidde Henry for his tireless effort towards this
work.
In the same way, I thank my Grands Nanyonga Eunike Gatti and Nanyimba Kyewalabye
plus my wife Nakalanzi Irene for their moral support and carriage towards my education.
I extend my thank to my friends Bukenya Wilson, Walusimbi Samuel, Ssempijja
Wilberforce, and Okungu Wilberforce for their encouragement through over the course
Lastly I thank my respondents at different levels who made it possible for me to get
primary data
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ............................................................................................................. i APPROVAL ...................................................................................................................ii
DEDICATION .............................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENT ................................................................................................ iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ vii
ACRONYMS ...............................................................................................................viii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Back Ground of the Study: ........................................................................................ 1
1.2. Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................... 2 1.3. Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................. 2
1.4. Objectives of the Study ............................................................................................. 2 1.5 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 3
1.6 Scope of the Study ..................................................................................................... 3 1.5. Significance of the Study .......................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER TWO........................................................................................................... 4 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 4
2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Definition of supervision ........................................................................................... 4
2.3 Other factors that influence building structures .......................................................... 6 2.3.1 Total quality control ............................................................................................... 6
2.3.2 Contract .................................................................................................................. 8 2.4 Relationship between supervision and building structures ........................................ 13
CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................... 14 3.0 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 14
3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 14 3.2. Research design ...................................................................................................... 14
3.3. Sampling design and procedure .............................................................................. 14 3.4. Study population ..................................................................................................... 14
3.5. Sample size ............................................................................................................ 14 3.6. Sources of data ....................................................................................................... 16
3.1. Methods and instruments of data collection ............................................................ 16 3.2. Data processing and analysis .................................................................................. 16
3.7. Data analysis .......................................................................................................... 16 3.8. Anticipated limitations ............................................................................................ 16
CHAPTER FOUR ....................................................................................................... 17 PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS ............................................... 17
4.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 17 4.1 Demographics ......................................................................................................... 17
4.1.1 Gender .................................................................................................................. 17 4.1.2 Finding on age ...................................................................................................... 18
4.1.3 Marital status ........................................................................................................ 18
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4.1.4 Education Levels .................................................................................................. 19 4.1.5 UPE existence....................................................................................................... 19
4.2 Whether Supervision is carried Out During Construction works .............................. 20 4.2.2 Whether Supervision is carried Out as Required ................................................... 21
4.3.3 Measurements Put in Place to Reduce some of those Elements ............................. 24 Table 4.3.3 Findings on Measures to Reduce the Above Factors in 4.3.2 ....................... 24
4.4.1 Relationship Between Supervision and Building Structures Under UPE ................ 25 4.4.2 The State of the Relationship ................................................................................ 25
CHAPTER FIVE ......................................................................................................... 28 5.0 DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND................................................ 28
RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................... 28 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 28
5.2 Summary of the Findings ......................................................................................... 28 5.2.1 How Supervision is Done or Carried Out .............................................................. 28
5.2.3 Relationship Between Supervision and Building Structures Under UPE ................ 29 5.3 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 29
5.4 Recommendations ................................................................................................... 29
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 31 5.5 Areas for Further Study ........................................................................................... 30 APENDIX ONE ............................................................................................................ 33
APENDIX TWO ........................................................................................................... 37 APENDIX THREE ....................................................................................................... 38
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1showing the number of respondents……………………………………………15
Table 4.1.1 Findings on gender…………………………………………………………17
Table 4.1.2 Presentation of findings on age…………………………………………….18
Table 4.1.3 Presentation of findings on marital status…………………………………..18
Table 4.1.4 Findings on levels of education. ……………………………………………19
Table 4.1.5 Findings on UPE Existence…………………………………………………20
Table 4.2.1 findings on whether supervision is carried on during construction…………20
Table 4.2.2 whether supervision is carried out properly…………………………………21
Table 4.2.4 Finding on District Concern………………………………………………...23
Table 4.2.5 Findings on the Constraints Hindering Supervision………………………..23
Table 4.3.1 Findings on Other Factors…………………………………………………..24
Table 4.3.3 Findings on Measures to Reduce the Above Factors in 4.3.2………………25
Table 4.4.1 Relationship between Supervision and Building Structures under UPE……26
Table 4.4.2 Findings on the State of the Relationship…………………………………..27
Table 4.4.3 the Strength of the Relationship…………………………………………….27
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ACRONYMS
UPE Universal Primary Education.
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ABSTRACT
The study was carried out in Lwabyata sub-county, Nakasongola district. There has been
complaints of collapsing building structures built under UPE from the community and
this was attributed to quality of supervision among other factors.
The researcher used explanatory, cross-sectional, and correlation research design. He also
applied stratified and simple random sampling to select the sample size that was used.
The population size was 82 people which gave a sample of 64 respondents. The research
instrument used to collect data was questionnaire, and then data was analyzed using
tables, percentages and frequencies
The finding indicates that; Supervision is done by only district officials because what so
ever the community rises as a fault or problem seen on the building it is not taken as a
serious issue.
In light of the above discussions, it is seen that Nakasongola district has a lot to do to
improve its supervisory services among which the researcher suggested the following; all
stake holders be trained in supervisory skills, standards to be set up by the government on
materials to be used in public construction, tight fines and penalties to be given to
whoever caught in corrupting, supervision must mostly be carried from grassroots.
School management committees should directly be given funds to construct them selves,
Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act be followed strictly among others.
Therefore, basing on the above results, the researcher concludes that, the quality of
building structures under UPE to a greater extent is affected by the level of supervision
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CHAPTER ONE
1.1. Back Ground of the Study:
Supervision is the activity carried out by the people given the task to supervise
(supervisors) to oversee the productivity and progress of any work assigned to any person
(Carter MC Namara, 1987)
According to Buch (1968), supervision is a positive democratic action aimed at
improving school facilities, thus supervision should therefore be a cooperative effort and
a shared responsibility. In order to make the concept of supervision democratic, it
demands contrast efforts on part of the supervising officer.
Building structures have been seen as facilities put with an aim under UPE as
Okum(1999) puts it “quality and quantity of building structures should be emphasized to
have better academic excellent.
Education is crucial investment for the exploitation of all aspect of modern technology
for economic, political, and social development. The uneducated are increasingly
becoming unproductive and an economic national liability. Education, thus, the main goal
of UPE first mastered in 1989 in Uganda and it has to provide the minimum necessary
facilities like building structures to enable Ugandan children of primary school going age
(6-12) to enter and remain in schools and complete the primary cycle (MOES,2000:1-2)
Following the launching of UPE, primary schools enrollment rose from 2.9 million in
1996/97 to 6 million pupils in 1999/2000. The enrollment in 2003 was estimated to be
7million pupils and the number of schools raised to a total of 10,597 (MOES, 2001:5)
With the continuous increase in the number of pupils, governments in collaboration with
donors have decided to increase the number of building structures to accommodate the
increasing number of pupils. However, there are complaints among the community that
the funds invested to increase the number of building structures has been wasted and it
will still be wasted because so far buildings constructed are collapsing day and night and
the remaining are of poor quality amidst huge funds allocated.
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On this ground, this has prompted the researcher to come up and try to find out whether
the root cause is the level of supervision as his starting point to have other factors brought
on board.
Statement of the Problem
In the last fourteen years, government has tried to boost UPE by increasing the number of
building structures like; class rooms, stuff quarters, latrines, and water tanks through
increasing spending to accommodate the ever increasing enrollment.
In the effect, there is rise of complaints about poor and collapsing building structures
like; among others, Nakayonza primary school, Namika primary school all in Lwabyata
sub county, Nambejju primary school, Mukonzi primary school, Nabiswera primary
school, Lwampanga primary school all in Nakasongola district where different building
structures collapsed before even lasting for four years.s
Given such a situation amidst, the supervision at different levels like; school management
committees, district engineers, inspectors of schools, chief administrative officers and
even people from the ministry, complaints are still arises.
Probably the cause might be the quality of supervision, and if the problem continues,
there may be; increase government spending, accidents caused by collapsing structures,
and consequently reduction in academic performance.
1.2. Purpose of the Study
To establish whether quality of supervision has an effect on building structures.
1.3. Objectives of the Study
To establish whether supervision is properly carried out during construction of
building structures.
To establish other factors that affects the quality of building structures.
To find the relationship between supervision and building structures.
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1.5 Research Questions
What is the relationship between supervision and the quality of building
structures?
Is supervision carried out during the construction of building structures?
What are other factors that affect the quality of building structures?
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study will be conducted in Nakasongola district in two (2) selected schools from nine
(9) sub counties. This will this will involve school management committees, few
members from the committees, few members from the community where these schools
are located, head teachers from selected schools, district inspectors, district engineers,
and the head of contracts committee of the district.
1.4. Significance of the Study
The study will help to tell whether supervision is carried out or not,
It will help to tell whether there is a relationship between supervision and quality
of building structures,
It will help the donors to assess whether funds given meet their intended purpose,
The study will also help future researchers to build on and collect information in
order to find out more about the problem
It will help the researcher to get a degree since it is part of the requirements for
the award of B.Com degree at Makerere University
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CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
This chapter presents a review of literature about the level of supervision and quality of
building structures. It has views of different authors on the subject as well as the
researcher’s own intrigue of the available literature.
A construction project is a very interesting and exciting undertaking, but it is also a
complex and a costly process. It involves the transformation of used, of an idea, into a
new physical structure.
2.2 Definition of supervision
According to Okumbe (1998), Supervision is defined as that division or phase of
educational administration which is concerned with improving work performance.
Kadushin’s model points out some functions of supervision. For example; Hawkins and
Shohet (1999) listed out some of the function has been:
To receive both comment and process feedback
To receive information and another perspective concerning one’s work
To ensure that as a person and as a worker one is not left to carry unnecessarily
difficulties, problems and projections alone.
To plan and utilize their personnel and professional resources better
To be proactive rather than reactive.
To ensure quality work.
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According to Peter F Drucker (1987), there are 10 keys to effective supervision;
Support growth, provide support for employees’ development
Unit your team, building a culture of care and concern by maintaining: open door
policy, regular one-on-one supervisory meetings
Praise others
Expect excellence
Require accountability
Value what you believe
Instill independence
Share continuously
Optimize ownership
Re -align your efforts
Ideally proper leaving for pupils should take place in classrooms. Webster (1993) defines
a classroom as a room in which lesions are being taught. UPE brought about a surge in
enrollment accompanied by increased need for classrooms and other school structures.
This concern was also noted by the World Bank education specialist Mr. Paul Murphy
when he said “the quality of education under UPE is unsatisfactory and inadequate due to
lack of school structures which greatly affect the standard of education.
According to Lester R.Bittel and John W.Newstrom (1990), a person to become a
supervisor must e along serving employee, with greater experience, have held different
jobs in the department or organization have greater knowledge than the ones they
supervise. Usually, it is apparent that supervisors are from among the best and most
experienced employees or persons from the community.
Supervisors or inspectors above all, dedicate themselves to the goals, plans, policies and
qualities of services required. Team work is essential in the supervisory ranks. There is a
great deal of departmental interdependence, the goals and activities of one department
must harmonize with those of others
Poor supervision is defined as the worst factor affecting labour productivity. The other
factors may include; lack of skills, lack of tools/equipments, poor building methods, poor
communication, inaccurate drawings and hash weather conditions. Lack of materials
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followed by rework ranked highest with regard to average rating on loss of time. This is
an agreement with what was found out in previous research (Kaming et al…. 1997,
lomolaiye et al. (1987). Lack of skills and inadequate supervision are regarded as having
the greatest effect on the quality of building.
Hawkins and Sholet (1989), spells out importance of effective supervision as being;
Help to ensure quality work
Helps to use personal and professional resources
Helps to develop understanding and skilled personnel to work
Helps in information feed back
Jobsite supervision is a service that varies greatly among custom home builders. The
three main services that a custom home builder provides are jobsite supervision, job
administration, and cost analysis. Of the three, supervision has the great impact on the
quality and timeliness of construction of your building structure. The main factors that
distinguish superintendents are their qualifications, experience and the amount of time
they are able to spend supervising the construction. (Groninger home.com).
The levels of supervision of professional and technical staff need to be improved. The
construction phase of supervision work of building structures, construction stage
supervision, we should point at different stage of supervision, construction quality control
of the content, quality inspection procedures and requirements, they effectively enhance
the quality of building structures.
2.3 Other factors that influence building structures
2.3.1 Total quality control
Quality control in construction typically involves insuring compliance with minimum
standards of material and workmanship in order to insure the performance of the facility
according to design. The minimum standards are normally contained in the
specifications. For the purpose of ensuring compliance, random samples and statistical
methods are used. Materials obtained suppliers or work performed by the organizations
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inspected and passed as acceptable if the estimated defective percentage is with in the
acceptance quality level.
Local authority building company in United Kingdom (1991), Building is generally
developer’s most valuable financial investment and one of the most important emotional
investments. To them it is more than bricks and mortars. Unfortunately, hundreds of
thousands of buildings suffer from some type of construction defect that will cost million
of shillings to repair and depreciate the value of their buildings.
Building industry has a variety of participants which include the employer (government),
they are the employer under the building contract and they are ultimate owners of the
buildings. Contractors or contractor is the person or company which deals in building
contraction. The major role is to check contract documents, appoint staff and project
workforce, prepare construction and purchasing building materials, prepare site lay out
keep daily work records and collaborate on inspections’ prior to final completion.
Public Health Act, (1969). The power under section 72 of the public health Act, to make
rules relating top construction of buildings shall include the power all or any of the
following;
a) matters as regards building;
The construction of buildings and materials to be used in the construction of
buildings,
The space about buildings, the quality, and ventilation
The height of buildings
b) The responsibility of the building inspection is carried out by the building
inspectors who should begin from;
Cmm3encement of work,
Foundation concrete,
Damp proof course,
Over site consolidation and concrete,
Reinforcement,
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Surface soil drainage
The full completion of the structure.
2.3.2 Contract
It is important to explain such term as contract. A contract involves an offer and an
acceptance, with consideration enforceable at law. It is independent of any contractual
liability and its remedy is the recovery of damage (Abbett, 1963).
There are no standard conditions to reflect the specific conditions in Uganda. A variety of
conditions of contracts originating from different sources are in use in Uganda and most
of them are in unisectoral in nature (Tute Sigensi and Kiggundu, 1997). One factor is that
the contracts are not drafted to include all foreseeable situations and the result is that a lot
of claims and disputes arise which receive little or no attention and some time go
unsettled.
According to Tindiwensi.D. (1997), preparation and settlement of claims take a lot of
time. In this regard, sufficient time should be allocated and competent contractors must
be selected. The liability of parties must be clearly spelt out. Critical issues to be
addressed include; has the contract catered for verification in price due to economic
factors (fluctuations)?, is it measurement contract or a firm fixed contract?,. If the right
documentation is not used, claims and disputes are inevitable. In such cases, what
mechanisms are in place for delay in valuations and payments? Allowance for claims and
prompt settlement of claims are methods of keeping the contract in steady state.
Building structures are made up of series of regular shapes that have a particular function
for load carrying among which are a tie which prevents two parts of the structure from
moving apart to develop cracks. A structure prevents part of the structure moving towards
each other when there is compression force. There is also a beam one of the most
important structural members that is frequently supported and carries traverse loading. A
beam column as the name implies, combines all other separate parts of the structure, of
all the above parts of structure including the slab they need to be observed with great
supervision (P.P Benham and R.J. Crawford, 1987)
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C.M.H.Barritt (1987), one component in a house which is never anything other than
structural is the foundation. Standing on the foundation is some form of construction
which receives the load floors and roof and transfers them to the foundation. That part of
this construction which coincides with the perimeter of the building may also support the
enclosing envelope and hence must also be capable of withstanding the will loads which
will be transferred to it. For this purpose the support construction must posses strength to
carry the vertical loads and stiffness of resist the horizontal wind force.
With regard to the contractor’s responsibility towards the general public, the contract
makes the contractor liable for any third party claims in respect of death or personal
injury, or damage to property arising from the work. It further makes it obligatory for the
contractor to take out adequate insurances to guarantee payment of his liabilities.
In considering quality, one is really defining standards of acceptance and these standards
can be changed to suit a number of controlling influences such as the cost. In most cases
the better the standard the more expensive it is.
The five steps of quality control as stressed are;
Set the specification,
Check the preparation for work,
Monitor the supervision,
Correct quality deficiencies,
Feedback information gained to improve work.
Inspection also for building materials can be carried out using different methods, there id
visual methods, tactile and sampling method each with respect to usefulness and degree
of accuracy
Sand is usually specified to be clean, sharp river or pit sand
Building standard in 1881-1983, describes test to be carried out on concrete and the
apparatus required. The firs of these, to check the water/cremate ratio and consistency of
the mix, is slump test. The usual laboratory test is to measure the crushing strength by
planning the cube between two steel plate and applying a load until if fails.
10
The bricks and blocks should be struck to test their soundness. Good bricks will give off
a clear metallic ring when hit with a trowel. Blocks, whether their type, should be
consistent in colour and true in shape, the object of examination should be to check this
and their conformity to the quality specification in respect of type, grade and size.
Much timber is applied stress-grade and pressure-impregnated with preservative.
Preserved timber and should be checked as to its validity.
Bryan J.B.Gauld (1986), Building structures requires to have strength, stability and
serviceability. It is the responsibility of the designer to meet all the three requirements.
Each has to be analyzed separately and each one must meet the minimum standards, so
that:
Strength, the building must not topple over, blow away or collapse due to lack of
stiffness. The building must have sufficient bracing so that, the walls remain at
right angles to the floor.
Stability, the building must not topple over, blow away or collapse due to lack of
stiffness. The building must have sufficient bracing so that the walls remain at the
right angles to the flour
Serviceability or function. The structural members must be stiff, so that the floor
remains horizontal and building does not sway too much.
A building may well meet one or two of the requirements, but unless it meets all the
three, it is a failure. For example, a beam right have sufficient will fail under
serviceability says Bryan Gauld. So, it must be emphasized again that the building must
meet all three equipments.
If strong and good size steel bars were placed in the bottom of the beam, then the tension
stress will be resisted by the steed and the beam will carry a much greater load before it
fail under bending. Some materials such as timber and steel are homogeneous in their
structural behavior in that their maximum compressive strength is about the same as their
maximum tensile strength. Bending failure of the abeam made from these materials may
be due to compression failure in the top of the beam or tension failure in the bottom of
the beam, and should occur at the same time, he adds.
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The general option in construction was that it would be impossible to standardize
“outside work” due to rapid changing conditions found in construction project
organizations of short duration. It was believed that, because of these difficulties, the
“scientific management analyst” should be a practical, experienced person, able to take
full responsibility to carryout construction work if conditions required it. In construction,
work changes would have to be implemented immediately upon recommendation by the
analyst. The work of the analyst (supervisor) began when the contractor receives the
plans. Detailed sketches were made of the forms.
According to John W Watts (1984), the materials employed in building works used to be
fit for the purpose intended not only important that the correct materials are used, but the
materials must also be used correctly, in the correct manner, so that their particular
property are used to the best advantage. Further more, the materials must be strong,
durable, robust and require a minimum of maintenance. The architects specifications and
design.
Looking at bricks, he says they are classified like common or engineering quality. For
example; internal or ordinary (cellular or solid) these are suitable for internal works
because, they have little weather resistance, special quality bricks are durable in severe
exposure where they are liable to be wet and frozen.
The attributes normally look for in bricks which are to be used in a structural capacity are
strength and durability, bricks therefore, should be selected accordingly.
John W Watts continues to mention some types of cement which is good for concrete
works being Portland cement and that damp or lumpy cement should be used
immediately or discarded.
Looking at lime, there three different classes, non hydraulic, hydraulic and magnesium;
Non-hydraulic lime can only be used in the presence of air because it harden slowly,
hydraulic lime are suitable for buried works as well as for work under water and can be
used for work in exposed conditions, magnesium lime are used extensively in areas
where magnesium lime stone is found.
Looking at sand, he says, there are of two kinds that is coarse and fine sand;
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Coarse sand is aggregate mainly retained on a 5 mm sieve whilst fine aggregated to
passing a 5 mm sieve. The type of sand used will have a marked effect on the
characteristics of the mix. A mortar mix with too much fine sand in it will require a lot of
water to make it workable and this will lead to excessive shrinkage of the mortar when it
dries. A mix with too much coarse sand in it will not give a smooth finish and could be
unworkable; it will require extra cement or lime. A good sand is one in which the various
sizes of sand are combined so that the smaller particles nearly fill the spaces between the
larger particles. Sand has common sources which are pit sand, river and sea sand. With
exception of sea sand all these sands are generally suitable for building purposes. Sea
sand is not usually acceptable because of its high proportion of salts which causes
efflorescence and some times disintegration
Ashworth (1994) observes that defects in construction projects are a persistently working
problem despite continually improving technology and education.
The construction industry was too often in the past been discredited by the bad publicity
resulting from some times dramatic failures of both the design and construction of
products. It must not be because of the economic problems and also because of the
extreme pressure to devote its resources to unprofitable ends by failing to achieve the
desired standards of work at the first attempt.
Further still he says, when a structure is completed, must also have aesthetic merit. The
architecture, engineering and the construction work done on the site must be in a manner
that will protect the client against his own inexperience. The quality of the finished work
will have to be defined in the specifications and will be measured for assessment.
The concept of value based contract selection assesses contractor’s capacities for value
delivery by considering the past experience, financial strength, technology and based
human resource (Palaneeswaran, Kumaraswamy and Ng, 2003). In many countries there
are thousands of contracting companies which range from sole traders to large company
employing work force of several thousands (Roger et al….1993). The existence of large
number of contractors in a limited number of projects and uncertain construction industry
environment result in intense competition which has led to corruption, the end result
being construction of fake buildings by incompetent contractors. Therefore, to avoid the
malpractices of corruption, a transparent way of selecting contractors for best value
delivery should be adopted and adhered to.
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2.4 Relationship between supervision and building structures
According to Bucch (1968), modern schools at improvement of school facilities among
which include building structures. Supervision should therefore be a cooperative effort
and a shared responsibility. In order to make the concept of supervision dramatic, it
demands constant effort on part of the supervising officers.
According to Alwi, Sugihharto and Hampson, Keith and Mohamed, Sherif (1999), The
quality of supervision has a major influence on the overall performance and efficiency of
construction projects. Inadequate supervision is believed to be one of the major causes of
rework. Therefore, experienced and well trained supervisors has an important role in
minimizing the amount of rework do to construction defects. They urged that the quality
of site supervision direct affects construction work
John Akanya, the director general of standard organization in Nigeria (SON), has
advocated that government agencies and professional bodies jointly supervise building
under construction. He says this ensures that only certified building material to be used
when constructing houses. He adds that one of the greatest challenges confronting the
sector is ensuring that only certified building materials are used and qualified
professionals are involved in building
The fore going review of literature indicates that supervision might be a key factor in one
way or the other as regards construction industry. However, it is subject to further
investigations to ascertain the extent to which supervision relates to building structure.
14
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 METHODOLOGY
3.1. Introduction
This chapter describes the method that was used to collect and analyze data. It basically
looks at research design, study population, the area of study, target respondents, data
collection procedures, research instruments to be used, data analysis, data processing and
anticipated limitations
3.2. Research design
Under this section, the researcher used various designs of which were exploratory design
because little was known about the problem.
Cross sectionals design was also used to establish the relationship between the variables.
3.3. Sampling design and procedure
In the study, the researcher used stratified random sampling technique. The strata
included; school management committee, community members in the localities school
staff and members from the district involved in procurement and supervisory works. This
helped the researcher to ensure that each school in the sub county was represented in the
sample population and even members in different supervising sections at the district
headquarters were chosen
3.4. Study population
The population included school management committee members who were 24,
community residents who were also 24, district staff member were 10 and school
teaching staff were 24, which made a total population of 82 people
3.5. Sample size
From the above population, according to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (1997), they
came up with formulae of determining the sample size given the population
15
Sample size=P×Q×(Z/E)²
Where;
P: Number of target population that conforms to the characteristics of the sample
required
Q: Number of the target population that does not conform to the characteristics of
the required sample
Z: Confidential level required (that is 95%)
E: Margin of error (5%)
So,
P=63 (77%)
Q=19 (23)
Z=0.95 (95%)
E=0.05 (5%)
Therefore, P×Q× (Z/E) ²
=0.77×0.23× (0.95/0.05)²
=63.93≈64 respondents
From the above, the researcher used a sample of 64 respondents having 24 school staffs,
16 school management committee members, 8 members from the district headquarters
and 16 community members in school locality
The table 1 showing the number of respondents
Respondents No of respondents No of study area Total
School staff 3 8 24
School management
committee
2 8 16
Community members 2 8 16
District staff 8 1 8
16
3.6. Sources of data
Both primary and secondary sources were used. Primary data was collected from the
mentioned respondents above whereas secondary data was extracted from other reports,
library texts and journals
3.1. Methods and instruments of data collection
Primary data was collected using questionnaires
3.2. Data processing and analysis
Raw data obtained was edited first to correct errors and mistakes then analyzed to
produce meaning full information
3.7. Data analysis
Data was analyzed in two different perspectives;
Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (use of tables, correlations and
standard deviations),
Qualitative data was analyzed separately, interpreted and compiled for preparation of
reports on the study findings
3.8. Anticipated limitations
financial constraints, being self sponsored student yet it has a wider coverage
time, since the researcher was not a full time student.
incidences of non response since some of the respondents were mean, others
feared to give out information
17
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.0 Introduction
This chapter presents the discussion of findings as received from respondents of
Lwabyata sub-county Nakasongala district. Frequency percentages and correlation where
used to analyze the data.
4.1 Demographics
4.1.1 Gender
The respondents were asked to code their gender and the findings were presented in the
table below
Table 4.1.1 Findings on gender
Gender Frequency Percentage (%)
Male 45 70
Female 19 30
Total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question one)
The above table shows the findings on gender. On the whole, 64 respondents were
interviewed and they all responded to this question. The findings show that out of the 64
people, 45 were males and 19 were females. Expressed in percentages, 70% were males
while 30% were females. Given the above information it is seen that much of the
responsibilities in the district and mostly in Lwabyata sub county is taken up by male
citizens basing on percentages and gender response. So there’s a need to revise the
responsibility sharing in public interests. This implies that the researcher was not gender
bias and therefore the findings are reliable
18
4.1.2 Finding on age
In this question respondents were asked to show their age brackets and the findings were
presented in the table below
Table 4.1.2 Presentation of findings on age
Age group Frequency Presentation
Below 20 _ _
20-29 31 48
30-39 29 45
50 and above 4 7
Total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question two)
From the above table it was found out that 48% of respondents are between 20-29 years,
45% of the respondents are between 30-49 years, while 7% fall in the age bracket of 50
and above, given the respective age brackets, the sub county has a degree of balanced
participants in government offices as regards public resources. However, much of the
responsible people are still in youth which is good for young citizens to be involved more
to build for the future they are too resourceful. hence different age groups were
represented
4.1.3 Marital status
This question called for the marital status of the respondents. The findings are
summarized in the table below
Table 4.1.3 Presentation of findings on marital status
Status Frequency Percentage
Single 25 39
Married 38 59
Widowed _ _
Others 1 2
Total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question three)
19
Finding on marital status of respondents show that out of 64 respondents, 25 are single,
38 married while 1 is engaged. This makes it 39%, 50% and 2% respectively. The
information got from the above table, it is indicated that much responsible people are
married were included which is okay because they are the ones producing school going
children, so they are much responsible on collapsing buildings than other categories
involved in the study. This shows that balanced information was obtained
4.1.4 Education Levels
Here the respondents were asked to show their highest level of education attained and the
finding are shown in the table below.
Table 4.1.4 findings on levels of education.
Education level Frequency Percentage (%)
Certificate 29 45
Diploma 14 22
Degree and above 21 33
Total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question four)
The findings on educational level show that 29 are certificate holders (45%), 14 are
diploma holders (22%) and 33 are degree holders and above (33%), from the above table
Lwabyata sub county has a long way to go as regards educating people. Leaving that a
side, the respondents based on education levels proves to be to a greater extent educated
enough to give good and convincing arguments as regards the problem that was under
study, hence the information got can be relied on
4.1.5 UPE existence
In this question, respondents were asked for how long has UPE been in existence and the
findings are shown below
20
Table 4.1.5 Findings on UPE Existence
Source: Primary data (Survey of question five)
From the above table, out of 64 respondents, 5 (8%) proved to have no knowledge on
UPE existence while the rest had knowledge which was 92%, many of the respondents
had the idea on the topic shown by their responses. This made the researcher to believe in
whatever was collected from the field. Ideally, right people were approached and
involved in the problem study.
4.2 Whether Supervision is carried Out During Construction works
4.2.1 Here the researcher wanted to find out the level of supervision during the
construction of building structures. The findings are shown in the table below.
Table 4.2.1 findings on whether supervision is carried on during construction
Response Frequency Percentage (%)
High 1 2
Medium 20 32
Low 40 66
Total 61 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question six)
In the above table, respondents were asked the level of supervision during construction of
UPE structures. Only 61 people responded to this question out of 64, and 1 person ranked
it high (2%) , 20 respondents ranked it medium (32%) and 40 respondent ranked it low
(66%). The data on whether supervision is carried out during construction leaves a big
gap to be filled. Based on the complaints of ever collapsing buildings under UPE this
actually shows a factor to be considered in evaluating the problem because supervision is
a key element as regards construction, the researcher got a feeling of this has been the
Period Frequency Percentage (%)
Less than 4 years _ _
5-6 years 5 8
Above 7 years 59 92
Total 64 100
21
first cause if it had not been done properly. This shows that there is a need to improve on
the level of supervision if the government is to benefit.
4.2.2 Whether Supervision is carried Out as Required
In this question, respondents were asked whether supervision on building structures is
carried out properly. The findings are shown in the table below
Table 4.2.2 whether supervision is carried out properly
Respondents Frequency Percentage (%)
Yes 6 9
No 58 91
Total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question seven)
From the above table, respondents were asked whether supervision on building structure
was being carried out properly. 6 out of 64 respondents said yes (9%) and 58 out of 64
respondents replied no (91%), supervision is carried out in Lwabyata sub county, but
based on the information it is inadequate shown by the responses above and if it is so,
you do not expect to have strong structures at all. All the stakeholders need to come on
board and work hand in hand to control the situation. So this gave the researcher a feeling
that since supervision as a key factor was not sufficiently done it could be among the
factors affecting the quality of building structures under UPE, so, there is a need to check
on supervision services to achieve the desired targets.
Hawkins and sholet (1989), spell out importance of effectives supervision as being;
Help to ensure quality work
Helps to use personnel and professional resources
Helps in the information feed back
4.2.3 The respondents were asked to suggest possible solutions to improve the quality
and levels of supervision and they had this to say;
Government should give local leaders full authority to supervise,
Supervisors should go to glass roots,
School management committees should be given full authority on contractors,
22
Include different stake holder in supervision,
Introduce transparent in tender award,
Independent supervisors apart from government supervisors should be contracted
4.2.4 Respondents were asked whether the district was concerned about the problem and
their reply was as in the table below
Table 4.2.4 Finding on District Concern
Response Frequency Percentage (%)
Yes 31 48
No 33 52
total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question nine)
From the above table, respondents were asked whether the district was concerned about
the supervision state. 31 out of 64 respondents said yes (48%) and 33 out of 64
respondents said no (52%). Given the problem and the complaints from the community,
the government (Nakasongola district), from the data collected is some how concerned
about the problem but not seriously, because as some narrated that however much
complaints you raise about the contractors, no actions taken and this has continuously
persisted. The district and generally the whole government has a long way to go.
4.2.5 Respondents were asked whether there were constraints that hindering supervision
in the district
Table 4.2.5 Findings on the Constraints Hindering Supervision
Respondents Frequency Percentage (%)
Yes 57 89
No 7 11
Total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question eleven)
In the above table, respondents were asked the constraints that hinder supervision
services where; 57 out of 64 respondents said constraints were existing representing 89%
and 7 out of 64 respondents said there was no constraints which was11%. The sub
23
county, the district and the general government has a lot of elements hindering
supervision based on data collected. All the stakeholders have to put a hand and sacrifice
some of the obligations to have the government excel in building structures under UPE.
This implies that there is still a big gap to be closed by the government to have good
structures
4.2.6 Respondents were told to specify some of the constraints hindering supervision and
they had this to say
Poor infrastructures
Lack of enough funds
Lack of enough skills
Limited time
Inadequate facilities
Poor conditions among supervisors.
4.3 Other Factors Affecting the Quality of Building Structures
4.3.1 Respondents were asked other factor that affects the quality of building structures if
they existed
Table 4.3.1 Findings on Other Factors
Respondents Frequency Percentage (%)
Yes 62 97
No 2 3
total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question 13)
The table above shows the results of respondents on other factors. 62 people responded in
favor (yes) making 97% and only 2 people said no, making 3%. The construction
associations mostly participants like engineers have almost failed to make attempts as
regards improving the standards and rules governing construction. what the researcher
came up with indicated that a variety of other factors still prevailing are attributed to top
officers mostly engineers who have failed to set up standards as regards construction.
Meaning that not only poor supervision there other factors that affect the quality of
building structures
24
4.3.2 Respondents were asked to specify some of factors affecting the quality of building
structures. They listed the following
Poor quality of building materials
Poor mix of materials
Un skilled contractors and their employees
Inadequate funds
Corruption in tendering process
Landscape
Poor scheduling of activities
Politicians can influence supervision, hence the government need to put more
emphasis on those factors in order to have good building structures
4.3.3 Measurements Put in Place to Reduce some of those Elements
Respondents were asked whether there were some of the measures put in place to reduce
some of these problems
Table 4.3.3 Findings on Measures to Reduce the Above Factors in 4.3.2
Response Frequency Percentage (%)
Yes 29 45
No 35 55
total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question 15)
In the above table, respondents were asked whether there were measures put up to reduce
the above factors in 4.3.2 and 29 respondents out of 64 respondents said yes, making 45%
and 35 respondents said no, making 55%, thus districts are reluctant to put up measures
to reduce the factors that effecting building structures. Supervision, the district is trying
to curb them but not satisfactory. The complaints about poor building by the community
should be considered important because this will help to identify the root cause of the
problem among which are poor materials and their mix. Indicators of no measures taken
were;
No action is done on those who have done shoddy work
Reports from community on structures are not handled properly
25
Rigging in tendering process still exists
There is still laxity in local government
Poor buildings still exist and are being constructed
4.4.1 Relationship between Supervision and Building Structures under
UPE
Response Frequency Percentages (%)
Yes 61 95
No 3 5
Total 64 100
Source: primary data (Survey of question 17)
From the above tabulation, the respondents were asked whether there is a relationship
between supervision and. building structures. 61 respondents out of 64 respondents said
there is a relationship and 3 respondents out of 64 respondent said there is no
relationship. Supervision and building structures have a direct relationship. It is seen from
the data collected that when supervision is not sufficient the resultant effect will be there
on the building structures which is defective and disastrous. Therefore, when the
construction is going on supervision should not be left out. So based on the above data
collected there’s an implication that supervision was not carried out as required which
would be among other things which make buildings collapse.
According to Alwi, Sugihharto and Hampson, Keith and Mohamed, Sherif (1999), the
quality of supervision has a major influence on the overall performance and efficiency of
the construction projects. Inadequate supervision is believed to be one of the major
causes of rework. Therefore, experienced and well trained supervisors have an important
role in minimizing the amount of rework due to construction defects.
4.4.2 The State of the Relationship
Here the researcher wanted to find out the state of the relationship between supervision
and building structures under UPE
26
sTable 4.4.2 Findings on the State of the Relationship
Response Frequency Percentages
Improving 19 33
Steady 4 7
Worsening 35 60
Total 58 100
Source: primary data
From the above table, respondents were asked the state of the relationship between
supervision and buildings. 19 people out of 58 respondents said it was improving 4 out of
58 respondents said it was on steady state and 35 out of 58 said it was just worsening,
which gave as 33%, 7%, and 60% respectively. To let the building structures stay for a
long period supervision should move hand in hand with building processes. Based on
above data, it is seen that the relationship has continuously worsened between
supervision and building structures under UPE. This has another implication that the
complaints of collapsing buildings might also be caused by the worsening relationship
among other factors.
4.4.3 Findings on the Strength of the Relationship
In order to establish the strength of the relationship between supervision and building
structures the researcher used the findings in 4.4.2 as shown in the table below
Table 4.4.3 the Strength of the Relationship
Response (x) Frequency (y) Rx Ry d d²
Improving 19 1 2 1 1
Steady 4 2 3 1 1
Worsening 35 3 1 2 4
Total 58 ∑d²=6
Source: primary data
Rx; Rank of responses according to weights
Ry; Rank of frequencies according to their weights
d; The difference between Rx and Ry
27
Using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (r), the strength of the relationship can be
computed as below
r=1- 6∑d²
n (n²-1)
Where: r = the strength of the relationship
n = the number of pairs of the observation
n=3, ∑d² = 6
r = 1 – 6×6 = 1 – 36
3(3² - 1) 24
r = -0.5
From the computation above, there is a moderate relationship (r=-0.5) between
supervision and building structures under UPE, however it is negative.
This implies that 50% of the collapsing or poor structures under UPE are attributed to
poor supervision services and 50% is attributed to other factors not considered under this
study. Therefore, the more supervision is improved on building structures, the better
performance of building structures under UPE
4.4.4 General Comment on the Role of Supervision on Building Structures Under
UPE
The above was asked from respondents, to a greater extent respondents said that
supervision still leaves a very big margin to be filled as regards building structure under
UPE in Lwabyata sub- County, Nakasongola district
28
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction
This chapter covers researcher’s discussion and summarized results realized from the
findings of the study. As pertains the discussion, the researcher was able to draw
conclusions and recommendations in the study.
5.2 Summary of the Findings
5.2.1 How Supervision is done or carried out
It was found out that supervision on building structures under Universal Primary
Education is carried out; however it is not all that perfect. Supervision is done by only
district officials because what so ever the community rises as a fault or problem seen on
the building it is not taken as a serious issue. The frequency of supervision or visits on the
construction site it is done rarely it’s not continuous because supervisors rarely visit those
sites and if they are to come, they come twice until construction is completed.
5.2.2 Other Factors Affecting Building Structures under UPE
Furthermore, from the study, it was found out that not only supervision but also other
factors were there which made the quality of building structures to be in a sorry state.
Among which some are;
Poor building materials used
Corruption in tendering process ending in awarding contracts to incompetent
contractors
Landscape
Inadequate funds to support different activities
Political influence, among others as discussed in chapter four above
29
5.2.3 Relationship between Supervision and Building Structures under
UPE
Finally a bigger percentage of respondents agree that there is a relationship between
supervision and building structures, build under Universal Primary Education. They said
that the relationship is positive where by good supervision leads to good building
structure to be constructed. However, the strength was negative because it was diverting
as supervision had not been carried out which led to poor structures to be built in the
sub-county, otherwise, if it was carried out properly, it would have led to good structures
5.3 Conclusion
In the final words, based on the researcher’s findings, it highly suggests that the level of
supervision greatly affect the quality of building structures under UPE construction and
any other construction based on literature review covered. Because, as supervision
reduces or is inadequate, the results will be poor quality of buildings and as supervision is
improved or carried out properly, the quality of building structures increases.
5.4 Recommendations
Basing on the findings, the researcher revealed that poor quality building structures under
UPE are attributed to inadequate supervision to a greater extent. However, there are
other factors like;
Poor building materials
Lack of enough skills by both builders and supervisors
Corruption by tender board or contacts committee
Landscape or poor soils
Political influence
Inadequate facilities, among others
The researcher therefore suggests that;
All stake holders should be involved in the task of supervision
Standards be set up by the government on materials to be used under construction
of public structures
All stake holder be trained in supervisory skills
Tight fines and penalties be given to whoever caught in corrupting
30
Contractors should not be given more than one (1) contraction contract for the
period of two consecutive financial years
Supervision mostly be carried out from grassroots
Contractors who build fake structures be fined and made to reconstruct them
without pay
Independent supervisors be contracted to supervise public works apart from
government employees
School management should directly be given funds to construct themselves their
school blocks
Public Procurement Act should be followed properly by government employees
Continuous external auditors be put at each district headquarters to follow-up
5.5 Areas for Further Study
While conducting this study, the researchers identified some areas which he believed that
further scholars should pay attention to and carry out study, they are;
Government employee skills and productivity
Quality of building materials and building structures
The relationship between pupil’s academic performance and building structures
under UPE
31
REFERENCES
F.J. Drewin (1982), Construction productivity: Elsevier Science Publishing co New York
Bryan J.B. Gauld, (1986). Structure for Architect: Longman group Ltd. New York
Lester R.Bitter and John W.Newstrom, (1990), What Every Supervisor Should Know
(6th Edition), Mc Craw Hill Book co: Singapore
Tutesingensi.A and Kiggundu B.M (1997), Conditions of contracts applicable in
Uganda. ACC you need to know about claims, construction review seminar
Public Health Act 1969, Chapter 269 Pages 3489 and 3490
C.M.H. Barritt(1987), Construction Technology, (1ST
Edition). Long man group Ltd:
Hong Kong
R.C. C OATES, M.G. Coutie, F.K. Kong (1997), Structural Analysis. Nor strand
Reinhold (UK) co. England
Websiter (1993), Construction Development: Longman group Ltd: Hong Kong
John W.Watts (1984), The Supervision and Inspection of Field and Building Works :
Batsford Academic and Educational: London
Ash Eorth, A.A.A (1995) Cost Studies of Building (2nd
Edition). Longman group:
England
Tindiwensi. D (1997), Preparation, Evaluation, Negotiation and Settlement of Claims.
Construction Review Seminar
32
Palaneeswaran, E, Kunaraswamy,M,NG.T (2003), Target Optimum Value in Public
Projects Through the ”Best Value focused contractor selection”. Journal of Engneering,
Construction and Architectural Management, Vol.10(6); p.418-431
Peter F.Drucker (1987), Quality and Level of Supervision. From http://www.
Alwi, Sugiharto and Hampson, Keith and Mohamed, Sherif (1999), Investigation into the
relationshipBetween Rework and Site Supervision in High Rise Building Construction.
Access from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/secure/00004161/01/CPR-99-sugi-final.doc
John Akanya (Tuesday, March15, 2011), Standard ards body wants joint supervision of
buildings under construction. From http://234/CPS/CMS/site/news/metro/5563097-
147/story.cps
Groningger Custom Homes (2010), Starting a new home, from,
http://www.groningerhomes.com/pages/supervision.htm
33
APENDIX ONE
Questionnaires
Dear sir /madam
I am a bachelor of commerce student from Makerere University conducting a study on
supervision and building structures under UPE. You are kindly requested to spare some
of your time to answer these questions. The information required will only be used for
academic purposes and will be treated at most confidentiality. Your positive attitude will
highly be appreciated
Instructions
Please tick the option of your choice in the box and fill in the space provided if needed
SECTION 1
Personal data
1) Sex: male female
2) Age group:
Blow 20 20-29 30-49 50 and above
3) Marital status:
Single married widowed others specify………………
4) Highest level of education attained:
Certificate Diploma Degree and above
5) For how long has UPE been in existence?
Less than 4 years 5-6 years above 7 years
1 2
3 4 1 2
1 2 3
1 2 3
3 2 1
34
SECTION 2
Whether supervision is carried out during the construction of building structures
6) How do you describe the level of supervision during construction?
High medium low
7) In your opinion, is supervision on building structure carried out properly?
Yes No
8) If 3 was taken in question 6, what do you think can be done to improve the situation?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
9) Is the district concerned about the current supervision state?
Yes No
10) If any is chosen from question 9, what are some of the indicators that can support it?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
11) Are there any constraints that hinder the supervision services in the district?
Yes No
12) If 1 was chosen from question 11, please specify some of them
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
1 2 2
1 2
2 1
1 2
35
SECTION 3
Other factor affecting the quality of building structures
13) Are there some other factors that affect the quality of building structures?
Yes No
14) If one has been chose in question 13, please specify some of them
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
15) Are there measures put in place to reduce some of these elements?
Yes No
16) If 1 was chosen in question 15, mention some. If 2 why?
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
SECTION 4
Relationship between supervision and building structures
17) Do you think there is a relationship between supervision and building structures
under UPE?
Yes No
18) If 1 is taken in the above question, how would you describe the relationship?
Improving Steady Worsening
2
2 1
2 1
2 1 1
1
36
19) If any of the above is chosen, what do you think has made it so?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
20) The main objective of supervision is to have good work done, do you think in your
opinion supervision has helped your district as whole to achieve this objective?
Yes No
21) If any is chosen in question 20, what do you think has made it happen the way it is?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
22) In general, please comment on the role of supervision in improving the quality of
building structures under UPE
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Thanks for your cooperation
2 2
37
APENDIX TWO
Time schedule
ACTIVITY DURATION PERIOD REMARKS
Research proposal writing and
approval
1 month Feb-march
Selection of designs and sampling
procedures
1 month Feb-march
Preparation of data collection
instruments
1 month Feb-march
Data collection, coding and
analysis
1 month March-April
Final report and handover 1 month April-may
38
APENDIX THREE
Budget
Proposed budget for the research dissertation
Items Quantity Amount (UGX)
Ream of papers 3 45,000
Research proposal typing 1 20,000
Transport 400,000
Research report typing 5 100,000
Refreshments 100,000
Air time 50,000
Miscellaneous 50,000
Total Expenditure 765,000