KUALA LUMPUR: The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) approach used by the Special Taskforce on Agency Reform (STAR) in resolving dilapidated school projects revealed that contractor capacity and workforce issues were among the factors behind project delays.
Deputy Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M Kulasegaran (pix) said other factors included rigid work processes and existing laws.
“These factors prolong the construction period… so the committee has suggested improvements to several work processes to shorten the construction period and ensure good quality work, including 43 days for the pre-construction phase and the time to obtain approval to demolish movable assets of building structures has been reduced to 47 days.
“Over all, the time to complete a project after improvements is a minimum of 133 days compared to 270 days,” he said in reply to Senator Hussin Ismail’s question of how the PDCA approach would help solve dilapidated school projects during an oral question answer session in Dewan Negara today.
He added that three schools are listed as pioneer projects to test the effectiveness of the suggestions, Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru Bangi, Sekolah Kebangsaan Tan Sri Ghazali Jawi, Perak and Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Adika Raja, Perak.
“Currently, four classrooms and two toilets in Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru Bangi have been constructed and handed over in four months, while construction at the two other schools are still ongoing,” he said.
He shared that several initiatives have been implemented to reduce the construction time, including approval for longer work hours to speed up construction, shortened payment periods to contractors and the disposal of building structures have been simplified. –Bernama
