RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN LAND SURVEYING: A CASE STUDY OF PIONEER ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

Abstract

Construction and engineering projects are inherently more complex and prone to risks, adversely affecting schedule, cost, and quality. Land surveying is particularly susceptible to all the technical, legal, environmental, and operational uncertainties (because before the actual construction can occur, it is an inevitable step that must be taken). The reality is more exacerbated in Kenya, where the streets are becoming fast urbanized; the infrastructure development and the country's ambitions to realize its Vision 2030 development agenda make it even more critical to have correct and timely land data. This study aimed to assess the practice and effectiveness of the project risk management activities within the land surveying role at the Pioneer Engineering and Construction Company Ltd. It focused primarily on risk acceptance, risk avoidance, risk mitigation, and risk transfer as being among the core risk strategies and discussed the impact they had on the performance of the projects. A descriptive research design was adopted, whereas a structured questionnaire was employed to collect quantitatively oriented data on 70 research respondents, surveyors, technical staff, and project managers who directly engaged in land surveying. The sampling method was purposive, and only people with practical knowledge of surveying operations were used. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and mean) were used to analyze data; findings were tabulated. The research aimed to find ways of reviewing the frequency and proficiency of the risk strategies adopted and the effects of these practices on the results of the projects regarding meeting timeliness, validity of data, and customer satisfaction. The findings indicated that reduced risk and avoidance of risks were the most sought and practiced measures. The respondents expressed those modern technologies, such as drones, RTK GPS, and GIS, were distributed widely, providing more correct and non-delaying data regarding operations. Preemptive risk avoidance measures were also standard, i.e., making pre-siting explorations and avoiding contentious zones. These approaches resemble the books on learning to appreciate technological integration and risk identification in the initial stages. A discriminative application of risk acceptance occurred where mitigation costs exceeded anticipated risks. However, it possessed internal control mechanisms to verify those risks. Insurance and contract provisions of risk transference were identified but were not as consistently practiced, so implementing policies should be facilitated. The research concluded that good risk management practices positively influenced project performance, resulting in improved delivery deadlines, data quality, and stakeholder satisfaction. Findings align with the project management and systems theory, which suggests a proactive and coordinated attitude towards uncertainty. However, though the study is limited to a single organization, it is educational to the actual industry participant and the policymakers seeking to enhance risk preparedness in the land surveying industry. The study suggests formalizing an official risk management system, making risk reporting mandatory in all project reports, frequent risk training to understand deep-rooted risk measurement tools, and last but not least, research into external factors of risk of land surveying in Kenya. The suggestions would allow companies to increase operational and long-term resilience to manage a more complex construction environment.