The need for technical auditing in the Zambian construction industry

As economic crimes such as fraud, bid-rigging, bribery, collusion, coercion and extortion in the construction industry have increased worldwide, so has the fight against them taken centre stage. To uphold the high ethical standards required in the industry, stakeholders need to introduce and promote proactive strategies such as technical auditing to minimise or prevent unethical practices in the construction industry. This paper outlines the need and benefits of technical auditing in the Zambian construction industry. It presents results of a self-administered questionnaire survey in the construction industry in Zambia. The study established that the pre-contract stage was more susceptible to unethical crimes than the post-contract stage, making the appointment of technical auditors at planning stage more appropriate. The highest ranked benefit of technical auditing was found to be client confidence, followed by enhanced accountability, reduced project costs and disputes in that order of significance. It is hoped that the results of the study may be useful in raising awareness about unethical practices and required prevention strategies, and assist in the development of necessary policies and guidelines for the introduction of mandatory technical auditing on publicly funded construction projects in Zambia and elsewhere.