The state of the surveying profession in Africa: a Ghanaian perspective

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to assess the extent to which the process of becoming a surveyor in Ghana mirrors a broad conception of professionalism. Design/methodology/approach -The work is grounded in field research in the form of interviews/survey conducted by the authors in Ghana. The sample is drawn in such a way that the work benefits from the experiences of people at different levels of surveying training. Findings -The study reveals that professional surveying training in Ghana is effective but narrow: senior surveyors do provide mentoring to probationers, but they engage in poor labour practices; probationers do obtain professional training, but many of their expectations are not met. While there are both costs and benefits to the mentors and mentees, the study finds that, on balance, the process of professionalisation is designed to favour a few owners of surveying firms. Practical implications -It is the intention of the authors that this work would contribute to a process of "conscientisation". The paper provides part of the basis for young surveyors to reject being passive recipients of instruction to becoming active workers and professionals who have a deep awareness of the social reality which shapes their professional lives and understand how they can reshape that reality. Originality/value -This research work is the first study of the state of professionalism and work conditions of surveyors in Ghana. The study sheds light on the conditions under which surveyors work and shows how professional they are. On the one hand, this study provides the opportunity for prospective surveyors in Ghana to reflect on their aspiration before embarking on that "journey". On the other hand, it gives practising surveyors a basis for reflecting on how the profession can be improved.

Sources and reliability of property market information for property valuation practice in Ghana

“…As established from the literature review and the stakeholder workshop, access to reliable and quality market data is often a challenge although valuers would like to use reliable market data for their valuations (Mahama and Antwi, 2006;Obeng-Odoom and Ameyaw, 2011). This situation is due to incomplete and scattered nature of data often resulting from administrative lapses; non-disclosure of details of property transactions due to confidentiality arrangements and the quest to evade taxes; data integrity concerns; and lack of requisite training and experience especially for estate agents to collect and manage market data (Mends, 2006;Mahama and Antwi, 2006).…”

The role of task complexity in valuation errors analysis in a developing real estate market

“…Another challenge is the unstable nature of the real estate markets in Ghana, which are characterised by rapid fluctuations in market prices, and quotation and payment of agreed prices in foreign currencies. Another major challenge to the practice of valuation in Ghana is the lack of adequate reliable property/market data (Gough and Yankson, 2000;Mahama and Antwi, 2006;Obeng-Odoom and Ameyaw, 2011). This challenge has often led to over-reliance on the use of the Cost Method of Valuation by valuers, and concerns over the standard of valuations produced in the country (Obeng-Odoom and Ameyaw, 2011).…”

“…For instance, the rapid fluctuations in market prices, and quotation and payment of agreed prices in foreign currencies are sources of market uncertainty. Also, the lack of adequate reliable property/market data has been well documented in the literature (Gough and Yankson, 2000;Mahama and Antwi, 2006;Obeng-Odoom and Ameyaw, 2011). Consequently, one would expect greater level of errors particularly variation in valuations in SSA countries than have been reported for more developed markets.…”

Slow-Paced Adoption of Terrestrial Laser Scanning Technology for Land Surveying Operations in Nigeria’s Geoinformation Industry

“…Today, the technology has stimulated so much interest that seems to surpass the original philosophy of its design and fabrication. Professionals in land surveying and allied professions would perceive this as an opportunity to respond to the critical issues raised by Hannah et al (2009), Greenfeld (2011), andObeng-Odoom andAmeyaw (2011), which border on the practical challenges of the surveying profession in the 21st century. Despite being an age-old profession, land surveying is symmetrical with the philosophy of geoinformatics.…”