A study by the Supreme Planning Council called the attention of problems during the procurement of Senior Staff Housing projects leading to less effective project outcomes. The SPC report put the blame on the current regulations of the scheme. This research evaluated SSH projects in comparison with Private Housing (PH) projects, which were not affected by SSH regulations. A model was developed as part of this research study. The model sets out to embrace the relationships between the variables in the building process. The model takes six main groups of independent variables, namely those that affect the client, the land acquisition, the design phase, the construction phase, disputes and SSH regulations. The effectiveness of the housing projects was measured against quantitative and qualitative performance indicators. The performance variables tested were unit cost; percentage of cost overrun; speed of construction; percentage of time overrun; client's satisfaction with cost and time; client's overall satisfaction; client's rating on quality; aesthetic quality and technical quality. As this study is the first of its kind, exploratory interviews with industry participants were conducted to gain a better understanding of construction practice in Qatar as well as to firm up the design of the client's questionnaire, aesthetic and technical quality evaluation techniques. The main field study resulted in 61 SSH projects and 34 PH projects. The research revealed that PH projects are more effective than SSH projects. It was found that SSH regulations are not the main reason for a less effective outcome. The main reasons were the unclear objectives and bad decisions made by the SSH clients. The research also revealed poor quality workmanship, old construction techniques and the use of inadequate construction materials. Also, a lack of, proper contract forms and means of dispute resolution. There are no institutions for consultants or contractors and a lack of training and development. Together, these factors contribute to the client's poor image of the industry. The research provides recommendations for reorganising the industry to improve its output. These include establishing Construction Industry Council, forming institutions for consultants and contractors, and establishing Housing Council.