Assessing the Duties and Competencies of Female Quantity Surveyors

Quantity surveyors (QSs) in developing countries remain tied to their traditional duties. This study aims to investigate the level of duties and competencies of female QSs in the Malaysian construction industry. The research objectives are determined via a questionnaire administered to 37 construction firms around Peninsular Malaysia. In relation to the three types of competencies, female QSs possess mandatory competencies in teamwork and conduct rules, ethics, professional practice, communication, and negotiation. They also possess the core competencies of procurement and tendering, quantification and costing of construction work and project financial control and reporting and optional competencies in project evaluation, contract administration, and contract practice. Their main duties are focused on tasks related to the pre tendering, construction, and project completion stages, which involve final account, cost control, costing, and preparation of financial statements. These duties are significantly correlated with major competencies, such as procurement, quantification, costing of construction work, and project financial control. This study shows that the involvement of female QSs in the construction industry in Malaysia remains dominated by the traditional practices. Based on the profile of the respondents, this study considerably reflects the middle categories of female QSs who work in quantity surveying firms.