| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this thesis is to present the Quality Assurance scheme of Cyprus and discuss
issues with the implementation of the scheme, regarding structural and working culture matters.
The function of a QA scheme is to ensure public investment efficiency and relevance
towards strategic goals by applying formal requirements and procedures to project proposals
from as early as the conceptualisation phase.
An initial scoping literature review was based on international literature on quality assurance
schemes. This was followed by a study of official manuals and guidelines regarding the
application of the new Project Selection and Appraisal framework of Cyprus. In-depth semi
structured interviews resulted in the identification of implementation complications, such as
difficulties in cost estimation, definition of alternatives and projects not adhering with the
general strategies of the government.
The QA scheme of Cyprus is a simple two step evaluation of a project s viability and affordability,
performed as early as the conceptualisation phase. Key issues identified were
that proposals are presented as one main project which is compared with other secondary
alternatives, the economocentric nature of the criteria for evaluation and the low threshold
might make the process too bureaucratic. The comparison of the QA scheme of Cyprus with
similar schemes from Norway, United Kingdom and Netherlands, together with the analysis
of implementation issues, provides the ground for recommendations of improvement of the
Cypriot scheme. | |
