Public policies for managing construction quality: the grand strategy of Singapore

Abstract

Unlike other economic sectors, the construction industry is characterized by activities which are discontinuous, dispersed, diverse and distinct. Quality management in the construction setting is therefore rendered more difficult not only at the national level but also at the project level for a wide spectrum of reasons. In response to these concerns, the primary purpose of this paper is to show that the vulnerability of the construction industry to fluctuations in the economy requires the involvement of the government to maintain workload stability in order to deliver high quality standards in the industry. A case study of Singapore is used to propose a range of public policies for such governmental involvement and assistance. In presenting these policies adopted by the Singapore government to achieve good quality standards in the construction industry, the Singapore experience should be of interest to other developing and developed countries in search of a similar paradigm for raising quality standards in their own construction industries.