Current Outsourcing Practices Employed in Acquiring Construction Consulting Services in Tanzania: Approaches, Partnering and Services (A Qualitative Study)

Outsourcing is a common practice used by most construction consultancy firms in Tanzania. Despite the daily application of outsourcing to construction consultancy services, there is no structured approach which guides outsourcing procedures, and as a result, consultancy firms face challenges when practicing outsourcing. This study aimed to assess the current outsourcing practices for construction consultancy services in Tanzania as the first step towards structural formalization. Focusing on construction consulting firms, including Architectural, Quantity Surveying, and Engineering firms, this study used a phenomenology design. It employed a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews for data collection and content analysis to analyse data. The study revealed that in Tanzania, "functional outsourcing" is the predominant approach, followed by offshore outsourcing. The most commonly outsourced vendors are those with prior experience, followed by those recommended by others. The primary reasons for outsourcing are "cost-saving," "time-saving," and "access to expertise." Moreover, architectural firms primarily outsource the preparation of 3D visualization, structured design, detailed design, and supervision of works. Quantity surveying firms mostly outsource pre-contract services and re-measurement works, while civil engineering firms outsource pre-contract works, material test works, and supervision of works. The study recommends that firms leverage the opportunities brought by project-based and strategic partnership outsourcing practices, which are underutilized. Additionally, formal screening and prequalification of vendors should be emphasized, and firms ought to expand the pool of services they outsource to become more relevant.