Analyzing Project Cost Control Mechanisms Utilized in the Construction Industry: A Case Study of Namwala 33kV Overhead Construction Lines, Zambia

The Zambian construction sector has been considered to be among the drivers of the economy, hence the proper utilization of cost control methods lead to the successful completion of construction projects. However, cost overrun is a major hiccup which main contractors meet. Hence effective cost control techniques are important in order to solve the problems of cost and time overruns in the construction industry. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to try and analyze the effective project cost control mechanisms utilized in the construction industry using a case of Namwala 33kV construction overhead lines. This study adopted a descriptive research design coupled with purposive sampling technique. In order to have an in-depth understanding, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were included in the questionnaires which were used as the main tool of data collection with a sample size of 50. Primary data collected were coded and analyzed with the help of micro soft excel and stata 14 as the data analyzing tool to ascertain the relationship between the project cost control mechanisms and project success. The established cost control mechanisms included Building Information Modelling-6% enhances the reduction of errors and improves cost estimation accuracy, Cost and Budget Estimations-24% improves project planning and resource allocation, Earned Value Management-26% suggesting its importance in project performance, Risk Management-6% helps to identify and mitigate risks, Value Engineering -18% for optimizing project value and reduces costs without compromising quality, Work Breakdown Structure-16% for decomposing project into manageable tasks thereby enhancing cost estimation, and Supply Chain Management-4% improves material procurement. The findings revealed that these cost control mechanisms are valuable tools which are effective for cost control, however, the study also analyzed challenges which affect the proper utilization of established cost control techniques which included challenges such as poor communication-24%, complexity in project scope-18%, lack of clear project objectives-16%, unforeseen site conditions-34%, changes in government policies-30%,and economic fluctuations-12%.