1. Introduction

The known three basic need of man which is accepted universally are food, clothing and shelter. Housing is unarguably one of the basic necessities of man, which is ranked second after food in the hierarchy of man’s need, though Ebie (2009) opined that it is the first and most important of all rights. Shelter in form of housing, creates a living abode for man for rest, sleep and other domesticated activities. Housing stimulates social stability, work efficiency and individual development, hence is very important for the physical survival of man. Man averagely desires housing with a particular level of comfort in order to enhance the physical, social and mental well-being of the individual for survival. This is affirmed by Olajumoke, (2006) who opined that housing is more than shelter, but encompasses all ancillary services and community facilities which are necessary for human well-being. According to him, due to the importance attached to provision of housing, and coupled with the fact that housing in all its ramifications is more than mere shelter since it embraces all social services and utilities that are required to make a community or neighbourhood a livable environment, it is a right. Housing is of supreme importance to man and one of the best indicators of a person’s standard of living and his place in the society. However, at no point has it been adequately supplied either quantitatively or qualitatively (Jiboye 2009; Omoniyi and Jiboye, 2011). Overtime, the need for adequate shelter has continued to attract global attention, especially in developing countries where the urbanization process has been growing at an alarming rate. The phenomenal rise in population, increase in number and size of most cities in the past decades have led to acute shortage of adequate dwelling units in many urban centers globally (Jiboye, 2009). This is also common place in Owerri, capital of Imo State, Nigeria, the study area for this research.

According to Mu’azu, (2002) construction is one of the most important activities of any economy and a large proportion of the country’s resources are usually used in the construction and maintenance of building. The construction sector in Nigeria accounts for 3-4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), about 5% of the labour force, 40-70% of the gross fixed capital formation and about 12% of industrial sector production (Omole, 2000). Ogunsemi et al (2008) opined that the construction industry is a viable sector in the economy of any country. The need for a building construction team in a building project is of paramount importance as building projects are rather complex and successful projects, is one of the driving forces behind sustainable development anywhere in the world. (Bamisile, 2005). The awareness of building construction professionals should be practical to guarantee success in housing delivery. It is crucial that professional construction team is structured properly from the outset and team member selection should be carried out carefully to give the construction project the best prospect of success. According to Adenuga (2012) the efforts made by housing authorities has yielded no fruits due to some reasons like poor implementation, party politics, illiteracy, inadequate finance, high cost of building materials, misconception and so on.

Based on the foregoing, this study seeks to determine the relative importance of professionals in building construction on housing delivery in Owerri, Imo State.

2. Literature Review

The history of building construction industry is as old as human civilization and the industry evolves with the evolution of human settlement and culture. The industry has overtime, in an attempt to overcome evolving challenges as a result of increasing complexity of human settlement, (that is town, county, city and megacity) culminated into specialization that seeks to enhance efficient and economical service delivery. (Owolabi and Olatunji, 2014). The nature of the construction industry is fragmented. The design phase in a building project is considered as a separate activity of the construction phase (Anmuba, Baugh and khalfan, 2002). There is confusion and misinterpretation of the roles of some of the professionals in the management of construction projects in Nigeria (Anyanwu, 2013). Building construction process has been faced with such problems as greed, incompetence and corruption which have created a recurring decimal of deadly collapse of buildings. This is common among some construction professionals which include contractors/builders who may use sub-standard materials in order to cut cost for selfish interest (Chinwokwu, 2000). Brien (1998) is of the opinion that the problem that faces any professional community is how it could regulate itself effectively to justify autonomy, while ensuring that the clients of its members and society as a whole benefit from the profession’s and individual professional’s actions, rather than becoming their victims.

The construction of a building project of any kind involves the services of many people directly, who design, construct and maintain it from conception to completion, and terminal demolition (Fadamiro and Ogunsemi, 1996). The construction industry has started to re-evaluate how buildings are being constructed nowadays and have increased such effective and efficient solutions as sustainable construction. Sustainable construction requires the whole construction industry developing “a deliberate and managed process” to improve the capacity and effectiveness of the construction industry to meet the national economic demand for building and civil engineering products, and to support sustained national economic and social objectives (Ofori, 2000). This development invariably will improve housing delivery in any nation such as Nigeria as well as in Imo State in particular. The need to register improvement in housing delivery has been influenced by the fact that emerging developments in recent times indicate mass housing approach as a veritable strategy towards the reduction of huge housing deficit that confronts many countries [(Khanzuadi, Dabirian and Youneszadeh, (2009); Kolawole, (2012); UN-HABITAT, (2011)]. Project categorization and identification of construction projects features can be said to be a complex, multi-faced phenomenon and exhibit varied influence on project success (Kwofie, Fugar, Adinioyira and Ahadzie 2014).

2.1. Building Construction Team

Mohrman, Cohen and Moharman (1995) indicated application of a team as an essential element in a company, where organizations restructuring were determined based on teams. This was supported by Cohen and Bailey (1997) and Sundstrom, Demeuse and Futrell (1990) who connoted a boundless acknowledgement that a lot of work can be accomplished in organizations as a result of teamwork. Recent developments in teamwork and teams in organizations have heightened the need to determine better ways to utilize teams, especially in the construction sector. Several organizations use teamwork to meet today’s global competition and expand customers’ expectations. Accordingly Egan, (2002), opined that process and team integration are the key drivers of changes necessary for the construction industry to become successful. The building project team members range from the architects, quantity surveyors, structural and service engineers, civil engineers, facilities and construction management, consultants, contractors, suppliers, subcontractors, manufacturers all working for the good of the project under the leadership of the project manager (Enoma, 2005). According to Aulich (2013) there exists a wide spread of stakeholders involved in conceiving a building project through the project stages, such as design, finance, build, manage, upgrade ultimately replacement, and a corresponding need for communication and co-operation. The members of the building construction team as cited by Anyanwu, (2013) included, but not limited to:

i. The Land Surveyor: is the government’s authorized expert who is licensed to determine boundaries and the custodian of land information. He has the preconstruction responsibility of determining size, topography, location, features on and beneath the land upon which development is done. In the construction phase, surveying commences with correct placement of footings, foundations and other items of building construction which are essential for sound structure. He establishes the level for the proposed construction and a benchmark that would be used as reference point through the construction phase. Though, it is sad to note that this last role is usually neglected in Nigeria in general.

ii. The Town Planner: prepares the master plan and is responsible for the orderliness in the developmental layout to show distinctively the various land uses. The town planner creates harmony in the environment showing roads, open spaces, schools, hospitals, health centres. He approves the building drawing submitted by the architect which then heralds the commencement of the building project (Akomolede, 2016).

iii. The Architect: translates the dream of the developer or client into a drawing which will form the basis of subsequent activities. The architect prepares a drawing showing the building and takes the builders through the drawing and the details as the building project progresses.

iv. The Engineers: takes up the drawing of the architect to do their own design based on the architectural drawings. Their designs include electrical and mechanical. Engineers such as geotechnical, structural, electrical and mechanical carry out various analyses and calculations before arriving at the optimal design solution for a specific building project. Similar to the architects the engineers should visit the site periodically for inspections to ensure that the work being carried out is in compliance with their engineering drawings, schedules and specifications. They are also responsible for modifications and re-design if the need arises. Quality and size of reinforcement should be inspected by the engineer before use to avoid building collapse.

v. The quantity surveyor: specializes in estimating the cost of construction work. The term quantity surveyor is derived from the role taken in quantifying the various resources that it takes to construct a given project, such as labour, supervision, plant and materials. The quantity surveyor prepares a cost plan as soon as the brief is settled which is aimed to guide the client. On the receipt of designer’s drawings the quantity surveyor prepares a Bill of Quantities (B.O.Q). The quantity surveyor must also prepare, with the aid of the contractor’s invoices and other documents and the final account (Anyanwu, 2013).

vi. The Builder: He is the professional at the centre of the physical construction of buildings. The documents earlier prepared by other professionals are handed over to the builder, who studies the production information in the drawings, schedules and specifications and then analyze the buildability and maintainability of the building. He advises on the construction method, programme, assesses the workmanship skill of artisan and suggest solutions to technical problems. His role in building development process in general is to construct the building, which he does by taking charge of the activities on a building construction site in translating designs, working drawings, schedules and specifications into a physical structure. His expertise in Building production management is the main professional input that he renders on building projects. The builder assembles and combines all materials listed by the quantity surveyor to make a living abode. (Akomolede, 2016). According to Anyanwu, (2013) in constructing buildings, a Builder performs the following roles:

Ø Carry out Buildability and Maintainability analysis

Ø Prepare Production Management Documents

Ø Manage the production process on site.

Ø The builder’s role takes prominence at the construction stage though it actually starts from the planning and design stages.

vii. The Estate Surveyor and Valuer: role is paramount for economic and commercial values. The input of the estate surveyor helps to increase the sales or rentable value of a building after construction. The professional that manages the estate after completion is expected to have a major input at the planning and execution of building projects. They should be involved at the early stage of building development process especially on commercial, residential and other types of building projects. They advise on current consumer trends, market demands and timing of entrance of the project into the market. The main task of the Estate Surveyor and Valuer on a building development project is to provide estimates for rental and capital value as well as to identify potential buyers and/or occupiers and to organize and implement the disposal of the development. At the very early stage, his initial valuation of the project is needed to assess the correct land price. Some important roles of the Estate Surveyor and Valuer on commercial building development according to Bamiside, 2005) are:

Ø The identification of potential buyers or occupiers- market demand.

Ø The analysis of the requirements of occupiers and ensuring that they are incorporated into the design.

Ø The assessment of the rent or price that buyers or occupiers are willing and able to pay.

Ø The assessment of market conditions and possible changes that may arise during and after the development period.

Ø The development and implementation of a marketing strategy.

Ø The monitoring of the effectiveness of the marketing strategy.

Ø The negotiations of lettings or sales.

While Akomolede, (2016) opined that the Estate surveyor is the beginning and end of the housing chain. He further explains that his work begins with the search for suitable land for the houses. He goes ahead to carry out the valuation of the land as a guide on the appropriate price to be paid, when the developer has identified the land. The feasibility and viability studies are also carried out by the surveyor if it is for investment purposes. The absence of the estate Surveyor and valuer in the building chain, has led to housing project abandonment and great financial and economic losses in Nigeria in general and in Imo State in particular. The estate surveyor should also be the project manager when the building construction project commences to act as a neutral party to the project who was not involved in design to check bias. He went further to state that the functions of the estate surveyor at the end of the building construction project include:

Ø Selection of suitable tenant

Ø Rent collection

Ø Lease renewal and re-letting

Ø Attending to tenant complaints

Ø Ensure that landlords and tenants adhere to maintenance obligations as stipulated in the lease document

Ø Ensure that service charges are paid and as at when due

Ø Carry out periodic inspection to ensure that property remains in an acceptable condition to avoid obsolescence

Ø Advice on alteration and improvements to reflect the current state of the art

Ø Advice on re-development or disposal and lots more.

viii. The Project Manager: acts as a representative on the site to the client on site to watch and inspect the works to ensure that the resultant structure or building will be in conformity with specified quality standard. The role of the client representative on site is to inspect quality of materials and the workmanship to ensure that they all comply with drawings and specifications. The person capable of inspecting materials and the workmanship of works must be a professional that is well trained in building construction, and with training in project management. When they are all on site representing the interest of the client, their roles are complementary. For example, while the resident architect will inspect those materials, and components specified by the project architect and also check dimensions physically on site, the engineers will equally inspect materials specified by each one of them (structural, electrical and mechanical) and their positioning in the works, the resident builder will have to ensure by way of continuous inspections the implementation of construction methodology and the project manager will ensure that the project quality management plan and stage of work is in conformity with the design. The contractor should usually cooperate with the project manager and treat him as the senior member of the project team whose assistance and advice as to outstanding project execution information, interpretation of designer’s intentions, contract conditions, and so on, cannot be done without. The project manager, as the client’s representative must submit reports periodically to the client.

ix. Facility Manager: Atkin and Brooks (2002) defined facilities management as an integrated approach to operating, maintaining, improving and adapting the building infrastructure of an organization in order to create an environment that strongly supports the primary objective of that organization. Hence, facility management approaches a building project by operating, maintaining, improving and adapting the building infrastructure in order to create an environment that strongly supports the primary objective of that building and encourage housing delivery. Some scholars are of the opinion that sustainable design and construction contribute to the creation of facilities that are energy efficient, cost less over their life cycle and improves worker productivity. They reported that the active participation of facilities managers during the planning, design, and construction phases ensure that sustainable strategies are not undermined after the facilities are delivered, and that future plans and policies for the facility is kept. Okoroh, Jones and IIozor (2003) provided insights into derivation of values by users of the built environment through facilities management. Latham (2001) opined that the facilities manager is the eyes and ears of the clients. Facility managers cover a wide range of services from real estate management, contact management, financial management, change management, human resource management, to health and safety and in addition to building maintenance and domestic services (such as cleaning and security) and utility supply. This facility management role should exist during the construction and refurbishment phase, although responsibilities will be shared with the contractors. According to Enoma, (2005) the last two decades have experienced significant growth in facilities management, as a result of the changing business environment. Privatization of business operations, re-engineering of business, the idea of value for money, customer satisfaction, subcontracting and outsourcing of non-core activities have all contributed in no small measure to the development of facilities management. Although the input of facility management is required at the design stage, it becomes more prominent at the operation stage. Facility managers are required to manage the organization, the people and the workplace to attain organizational goals.

x. The lawyers: as opined by Akomolede, (2016) are supposed to be part of the building construction team members, and their responsibility is to search title on land. This activity should be carried out before the payment for rights to land is done. The lawyer prepares the deed of assignment when the land transaction negotiation for transfer is concluded. He also prepares tenancy or lease agreement in the cases of lease. It can be observed that the roles of the lawyer is required at specific junctures in the construction process, though his roles are very key to the success of the building construction, he can more or less be regarded as a passive member of the construction team, since the building structural outcome does not depend on him. The role of the lawyer however may arise in the case of litigation relating to the said property under construction.

2.2. The Roles of the Professionals in the Construction Industry

The different roles of the professionals in construction industry as sourced from literature are as shown on table 1.

Table 1

Table 1 shows the roles of the professionals in the construction industry as observed by Owolabi and Olatunji (2014). Their stipulated roles to the various professionals were adopted for this research. The table also shows that the role of the engineer is rather much when compared with the roles of some other professionals in the construction industry. No little wonder why it is common place that engineers are referred to as being in charge of building sites.

The theory of constraints (TOC) developed by Goldratt (1990) is a process aimed at identifying and removing constraints in organizational processes that are standing in the way of organizational goals. A constraint is defined as anything that limits an organization or entity from moving toward or achieving its goal.

Once the existing constraints are removed, however, new ones emerge. Identifying and removing constraints represents an iterative procedure that pushes system capacity closer and closer to its limit. Therefore, the process should be reapplied. It emphasizes balancing throughput across the entire production line and making the best use of available resources via continuous improvement.

According to Walker, (1989) the construction project needs a good management to achieve the satisfied result which includes functional satisfaction, aesthetic satisfaction, completion on time, completion within budget, value for money, and health and safety. He went further to define construction management as: The planning, control and co-ordination of a project from conception to completion (including commissioning) on behalf of a client. It is concerned with the identification of the clients’ objectives in term of utility, function, quality, time and cost, and the establishment of relationships between resources. The integration, monitoring and control of the contributors to the project and their output, and the evaluation and selection of alternatives in pursuit of the clients’ satisfaction are the fundamental aspects of construction project management. Whelton, Penneanen and Ballard (2004) stressed that the project definition process is significant if it offers opportunity for the clients and the team to identify constraints and project constraints have to be considered when formulating the project strategy.

3. Problem Statement

The importance of the professionals in building construction industry cannot be over-emphasized because building construction project is a complex one, and successful building project for housing delivery is a driving force behind sustainable development in any nation and in Owerri Imo state in particular. According to Adenuga (2012) the efforts made by housing authorities has yielded no fruits due to some reasons like poor implementation, party policies, illiteracy, inadequate finance, high cost of building materials, misconception and so on. The need to register improvement in housing delivery has been influenced by the fact that emerging developments in recent times indicate mass housing approach as a veritable strategy towards the reduction of huge housing deficit that confronts many countries [(Khanzuadi et al, (2009); Kolawole, (2012); UN-HABITAT, (2011)]. Project categorization and identification of construction projects features can be said to be a complex, multi-faced phenomenon and exhibit varied influence on project success (Kwofie et al, 2014). Hence, if housing authorities influence housing project implementation through the use of the right professionals in the construction team that is managerially efficient, success in housing delivery especially in the study area will be enhanced.

4. Research Questions

(i) What professionals make up the building construction team?

(ii) What are the roles of the professionals that make up the building construction team?

(iii) What is the relative importance of professional construction team members on housing delivery in Owerri?

(iv) What possible recommendations can help achieve adequate housing delivery in the study area?

5. Methodology

Critical literature review was carried out to identify the professional members of the building construction members and their roles. The study adopted a survey research technique with the use of study questionnaire and oral interview. The professionals in the construction industry were more likely to consider the influence of their interaction in building construction for housing delivery, hence were the target respondents for the study. The population for this study is the professionals working in different construction companies in Owerri, Imo State and property owners. The study used the purposive sampling technique, which was adopted in order that the right respondents received the questionnaire.

The questionnaires were self- administered. A list of possible contributions was supplied and respondents rated the importance of each profession on a five-point Likert scale, with “1” indicating “very unimportant” and “5” indicating “very important.” The main focus of this study was to weigh the impact of the professionals in the building construction industry on housing delivery in the study area.

6. Data Analysis Technique

The data obtained for this study was analyzed using Relative Importance Index (RII) method to determine the relative importance of building professionals to housing delivery in the study area. The formula as adopted from Fagbenle and Oluwunmi (2004) and given thus:

RII =Sum of weights given by:

(W1+W2+W3+W4+……….+Wn)/A*N

Where W= weights given to each profession by the respondents and ranges from “1” to “5” where “1” is less significant or has the least weight, while “5” is extremely significant or has the highest weight. A= highest weight, which is 5 in this very situation, while N= total number of respondents.

7. Data Presentation and Analysis

Table 2 reveals that the respondents attached more importance to the project manager with Relative Importance of (0.937) ranking number “1^st” among the variables under study. It is important to recall that the project manger is often chosen from among the professionals in the construction industry to supervise the general activities that go on at a building site. The respondents ranked the importance of the land surveyor as number “2^nd” with Relative Importance of (0.812). This ranking is justified owing to the frequency and direct involvement of the land surveyor in defining land boundaries before the commencement of building construction projects. To the respondents a lot depends on the land surveyor for housing delivery to be successful in terms of establishing the limits on ground upon which the building construction must be done to avoid dispute. From the table, the respondents ranked the engineer as the number “3^rd” with Relative Importance of (0.799). This ranking is buttressed by the fact that the functions of the engineer as obtained from literature seems enormous and in common practice, the engineer is often appointed as the project manager. The architect follows as number “4^th” immediately after the engineer, followed by the contractor with the number “5^th”. The quantity surveyor ranked number “6^th” with Relative Importance of (0.610) despite the very important nature of his job, which is basically cost effective but it becomes obvious that without the utmost cooperation of some other team members like the contractors, much may not be achieved by the cost effective measure proffered by the quantity surveyor, this might be the reason for the higher ranking of the contractor over the quantity surveyor in the study. The Relative Importance of the estate surveyor of (0.591) ranking number “7^th” is not very surprising since the role of the estate surveyor from literature of preparation of feasibility and viability appraisal has not gained a reasonable acceptance by most clients in the building industry. Several land owners and developers consider such exercise as waste of money since change of use in building is a common place in the society today. Oral interview reveals that most respondents believe that the role of the estate surveyor commences after the construction and delivery when management and maintenance still are sought. This research therefore craves the indulgence of the professionals and the general public on the essence of the involvement of the estate surveyor at the beginning of building projects to avoid financial losses in future. The builder had the 8^th ranking with Relative Importance of (0.552), this could be as a result of the engineer who seconds as the project Supervisor, which has practically submerged the role of the builder in the construction site. Oral Discussion s with some owners of land for development reveal that the role of the builder is not clearly defined in their sub-conscious as a professional in the construction industry. The town Planner ranked number “9^th” with Relative Importance of (0.548), this could be as a result of the already existing government control in the area of study, which if adhered to, submerges the role of the town planner. The last ranking of number “10” was the facility manager with Relative Importance of (0.430). This result could be as a result of the recent development of the profession and also considering housing which not usually multi-national structures requiring such heavy facilities like elevators and escalators; one may wonder their importance in housing delivery. It is important to note here that modern technology has evolved several modern facilities to suite small homes as small as one room apartment and otherwise and the importance of the facility manager is gradually becoming more relevant for building suitability to purpose. Hence, it becomes of paramount importance to watch the trend of technology growth in order not be left several years behind in urbanization and development.

Table 2. Relative Importance Index of the Roles of Professionals in Building Construction in Housing Delivery in Owerri, Imo State

8. Discussion of Findings

The study reveals that the relative importance attached to the project manager ranked highest with Relative Importance (RI) of (0.937) followed by Land surveyor, with Relative Importance (RI) of (0.812), the third ranking professional by the respondents according to its Relative Importance (RI) is the engineer with (RI) of (0.799). The facility manager ranked the least from this study with Relative Importance (RI) of (0.430), which could be as a result of less involvement of heavy facilities in housing projects within the study area.

9. Conclusions and Recommendations

Several professionals have been identified by earlier studies to be part of the building construction industry. Since this study limited itself to housing delivery due to its scope, it was realized that not all identified member of the construction industry were adopted for this study. For instance the facility manager is gradually gaining grounds in being part of this novel team for building production, but facility management functions have more been articulated in institutional properties where special facilities like elevators, escalators, central air-conditioning systems and similar facilities are installed. In conclusion, the study reveals the following: that the project manager had the highest relative importance, followed by land surveyor, engineer, architect, contractors, quantity surveyor, estate surveyor, builders, town planners and finally, the facility manager. Therefore the study recommends that the right mix in teaming up of all these professionals in the construction industry at the inception of housing project will yield desired objective of adequate housing delivery in the study area.