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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to delineate "senior managers'" perception of the competencies required by project managers (PMs) in Ghana for mass house building projects (MHBPs) and to discuss the implication of the findings for professional training and development. Design/methodology/approach -Drawing on a well-acclaimed organizational psychology theory of job performance, a structured questionnaire survey was used to elicit data from managing directors (MDs) of homebuilders belonging to the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA). The data were analyzed using multiple regression techniques (stepwise) Findings -Of 64 competencies operationalised, seven are perceived to be important. Originality/value -The findings provide PMs in Ghana an understanding of the competency profile their superiors (i.e. MDs) use in judging their performance. This should therefore help the PMs to align their professional development towards improving their skills on these competencies. Homebuilders can also apply the findings to make an informed and objective judgement in the profiling, recruitment and maintenance of PMs who have the appropriate skills and competencies. The implication of the findings for developing a continuing professional development (CPD) agenda in the Ghanaian mass house building industry is discussed. The discourse provides useful lessons for the construction industry in developing countries such as those in the sub-Saharan African (SSA) Region.

Urban flooding has become a major problem in many parts of the world due to its social, economic and environmental impact. In Ghana, flood occurs every year, which adversely affects livelihoods, property, infrastructure, lives and renders many people homeless. In this paper, we aim to understand the current state of flood research in Ghana, focusing on how the scholarly community has approached the causes, effects/impact, and the coping strategies adopted by people in the urban setting. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review, combined with individual co-author in-depth experience in research and practice in Ghana, we searched academic database such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, Springer, Taylor and Francis, Science Direct and Google scholar for recent studies. Our results, on the basis of 33 articles, indicate that poor urban planning and development (number of reported articles, n = 18), poor and inadequate drainage facilities (n = 11), poor environmental attitude (n = 10) and extreme rainfall (n = 8) are the top causes of urban flood in Ghana. The most commonly reported impacts/effects were physical cost (n = 7), destruction of economic infrastructure (n = 5) and health concerns (n = 4). The most reported coping strategies were relocation and protection of properties (n = 9) and construction of drains (n = 8). The review also pointed out critical research gaps in the context of Ghana and suggested a new area for future research direction and practice.

Against the background of the perennial management challenges facing the Ghanaian HouseBuilding Industry, project management practices in the implementation of Mass House Building Projects (MHBPs) is presented with a view to reflecting on their strength and weaknesses. The role of project managers (PMs) and their performance on these projects are reviewed including how they have helped or met project objectives especially in terms of completion dates and cost. The evidence gathered suggests that, professional project management services, emanating from project inception to completion can potentially help in minimizing the effects of some of the key managerial challenges. It is suggested that, all other things being equal, some characteristics of the professional project management services could be adopted and embodied into a framework within which current management practices can be advanced for improving effective delivery of future housing projects.

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