How do you check root cause analysis skills in Qardho?

Root cause analysis competency risks in Qardho are checked by asking one contractor to walk you through a single real defect: what was seen, what was measured, what cause was proven, and what changed. A method that stops at a plausible story is not evidence. Recurring workmanship defects usually survive because the cause was never proven in the first place.

Why does a claim without evidence survive in Qardho?

A claim survives because nobody asks for the record behind it. Contractors list completed buildings in Qardho and Puntland, and clients read the list as proof of method. A finished building shows that something was built, not that anyone traced why a joint leaked or a slab cracked. Root cause analysis needs observation, measurement, a test that isolates the cause, and a correction written down.

Without that record, the same failure returns on the next phase or the next plot. Waterproofing, tank supports, window sealing and compaction all fail in ways that look alike from the surface, so guessing the cause sends money at the wrong repair. Ask the contractor which defect they investigated, which test or measurement proved the cause, and what they changed. A contractor who has done this once can describe the sequence in order. A contractor who has not will describe the repair only.

How do you test a root cause analysis method before award?

Score the method, not the certificate. During bid review, give the bidder one defect report and ask them to write the investigation plan on paper: what to inspect, what to measure, which test separates cause A from cause B, and what evidence they would hand over. That takes an hour and shows more than a CV.

Ask for these items:

• A defect register from a completed job, with dates, findings and the fix
• Test or inspection records behind at least one entry, such as a moisture reading or a compressive test report
• The name of the person who signs off a cause, and whether that person sits on this project
• A walk of a recent site they built, so you see the work rather than hear about it

Ask the relevant local office what records, if any, it keeps for the plot, and ask the laboratory that would run the test for its method and rate in writing. Add a clause on who investigates a repeat defect, who pays for opening up the work, and what records must be handed over. Root cause analysis skills in Qardho are verified by method and records, not by confidence.

What does the gap cost the client?

It converts one defect into a cycle of repairs. When the cause is unproven, each fix is a guess, and the next phase or block repeats the fault. On a multi-unit build in Puntland, the client pays twice: once for the failed work and again for opening it up. The defect may also reach the handover stage, where recurring workmanship items sit unresolved and the retention discussion gets harder. Check what the contract allows you to require before work starts. Confirm the project specification and your engineer's requirements on investigation and records, because general practice varies by project. Ask two suppliers or contractors for written quotes on the repair you expect, so you are not negotiating blind. Then walk a recent job by the same team and look for the defect the register describes.

What to do next

Before you award, send every bidder the same one-page defect scenario for Qardho and ask for a written investigation plan: causes considered, test that separates them, records handed over, and who signs the cause. Compare the plans against your engineer's requirements. Keep the best plan as a contract annex, then ask the relevant local office what records, if any, it holds for the plot.

Sources