Construction Professional Studies

BSc.(Hons) Quantity Surveying & Construction Management

CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONAL STUDIES ASSIGNMENT- 02

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This study has been made possible thanks to the many persons in my surroundings. It

began with the Construction Professional Studies assignment no 02. A big thank should

be given to Lecturer who helped me from the beginning of this project and the Sustain-

ability subject area. All the academic staff of SHU and International College of Business

and Technology should also be praised for the excellent support they offered me in mak-

ing this a success.

Last, but not least, I express my immeasurable thanks to my parents, relations and my

colleagues for their priceless support to make this study a success.

22nd September 2012

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report is discussing the value of project management for construction. This main

aim is owners, who desire completion of projects in a timely,

Excellence in Project Management is achieved through a structured process that includes multiple

phases:

Initiating

Planning

Executing

Monitoring and Controlling

Closing.

The process balances the key project constraints and provides a tool for making decisions throughout the

project based on stakeholder values, performance metrics, established procedures and project goals.

Effective project management includes strategies, tactics, and tools for managing the design and con-

struction delivery processes and for controlling key factors to ensure the client receives a facility that

matches their expectations and functions as it is intended to function. Improvements in building quality

directly contribute to reduced operational costs and increased satisfaction for all of the stakeholders.

Successful project delivery requires the implementation of management systems that will control

changes in the key factors of scope, costs, schedule, and quality to maximize the investment. This section

offers guidance for the entire team to successfully and effectively carry out a high performance building

project.

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It is critical to establish the qualities of the project that are necessary to satisfy client and end user needs

and expectations, once it is delivered and in use. Value for the money in construction requires complet -

ing a project on time, on budget and to a level of quality that meets the determined needs. A well-pro -

grammed project will

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.................................................................................................1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................2

TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................4

Definition of a Project........................................................................................................6

Construction Project Management.....................................................................................6

Project Management Objectives.........................................................................................7

Project Management Process.............................................................................................8

Project Manager’s Role......................................................................................................8

Importance Of Project Management For Successful Project.............................................9

The Keys to Success Construction Project.........................................................................9

Project Phases...................................................................................................................12

Major Functional Responsibilities Of Project Management............................................13

Project Control Cycle.......................................................................................................13

Plan -................................................................................................................................13

Organize -.........................................................................................................................13

Execute -...........................................................................................................................13

Monitor and Control -......................................................................................................14

The Essentials of Project Management range of cost-effective tools for planning and

controlling a project.........................................................................................................14

Project Risks.....................................................................................................................14

1. Conclusion and Recommendation............................................................................15

2. Bibliography.............................................................................................................16

1.1. Book......................................................................................................................16

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1.2. Web.......................................................................................................................16

List of Figure

Figure-1: Project Life Span: Four Basic Periods …………………………………12

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INTRODUCTION

The context of the construction industry, many of us would acknowledge that successful

construction projects are often attributed to those that achieve the client’s requirement s

and project t objectives set out at the outset of the project. Such objectives may include

delivery within the stipulated TIME period, construct within the budgeted COST and

meet the QUALIT Y standard set. Other objectives, equally important, may include

meeting functional requirements and satisfaction of the clients and or end users. Not-

withstanding such requirements and objectives, t h e construction industries around the

world still suffer from numerous setbacks and problems, in particular those associated

with the construction process.

The common issues and problems associated with construction process lie in the ill con-

sidered procurement selection, traditional separation of design from construction, lack of

integration/organization of the project members and poor communication channels, un-

certainties in design and construction, changing internal and external environment,

project complexity and characteristics, as well as contractual and commercial matters. In

order to overcome those issues and problems so as to achieve excellence in managing

construction project, it is therefore paramount that the elements or ingredients in project

managing effectively are well understood and practiced.

Project Management is defined as the overall planning, co-ordination and control of a

project from inception to completion aimed at meeting a client’s requirements in order

to produce a functionally and financially viable project that will be completed on time

within authorized cost and to the required quality standards.

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DEFINITION OF A PROJECT

A project is made up of a group of interrelated work activities constrained by a specific

Scope, budget, and schedule to deliver capital assets needed to achieve the strategic

Goals of project.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Construction management demands an understanding of the construction and design

process as well as knowledge of modern business management. The construction

project has a finite time frame and an outcome-oriented planning process for project

completion with very specific objectives.

A successful project must start with a clear justification and definitions of the project

proceed according to a detailed strategic plan, and deliver demonstrable outcomes. Cer-

tain elements in the strategic planning process will differ from project to project, such as

the size, scope and location, but as a rule, project management for construction has much

in common with other project types.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES

The objectives of project management are to execute a project so that deliverables can

meet scope requirements on budget and schedule, and at acceptable risk, quality, safety,

and security levels.

Project Management has developed in order to plan, co-ordinate and control the com-

plex and diverse activities of modern industrial and commercial projects. All projects

share one common characteristic - the projection of ideas and activities into new endeav-

ors.

Project management can involve the following activities: planning - deciding what is to

be done; organizing - making arrangements; staffing - selecting the right people for the

job; directing - giving instructions; monitoring - checking on progress; controlling - tak-

ing action to remedy hold ups; innovation - coming up with new solutions; representing

- liaising with users

Construction project management process

The purpose of the Projects Management Process is to provide guidelines for the devel-

opment of the Project Management Process for design and construction projects. It is the

responsibility of the Project Manager to create a project specific document. It is to be re-

viewed, approved, and signed by;

Establish the framework and process for the management and execution of the

procurement, design, and construction.

Outline the project scope, budget, construction resource requirements, roles, re-

sponsibilities, authorities of and other stakeholders.

Outline the technical performance requirements for the management and control

of the project from initiation of concept design through construction, and final

delivery to the customer/user.

Establish decision rules for the review of inquires and proposals for changes.

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PROJECT MANAGER’S ROLE

The role of a project manager is to lead the project team to ensure a quality project

within time, budget, and scope constraints. A project is a single, non-repetitive enter-

prise, and because each project is unique, its outcome can never be predicted with abso-

lute confidence. A project manager must achieve the end results despite all the risks and

problems that are encountered. Success depends on carrying out the required tasks in a

logical sequence, utilizing the available resources to the best advantage. The project

manager must perform the five basic functions of management: planning, organizing,

staffing, directing, and controlling. Project planning is the heart of good project manage-

ment. It is important for the project manager to realize that he or she is responsible for

project planning, and it must be started early in the project

A project organizational chart should be developed by the project manager for each

project. The chart should clearly show the appropriate communication channels between

the people working on the project. Project team members must know the authority of ev-

ery other team member in order to reduce miscommunications and rework. Organized

work leads to accomplishments and a sense of pride in the work accomplished. Unorga-

nized work leads to rework. Rework leads to errors, low productivity, and frustrated

team members. Project staffing is important because people make things happen. Most

individuals will readily agree that people are the most important resource on a project.

They create ideas, solve problems, produce designs, operate equipment, and install mate-

rials to produce the final product. Because each project is unique, the project manager

must understand the work to be accomplished by each discipline. The project

manager should then work with his or her supervisor and appropriate discipline man-

agers to identify the persons who are best qualified to work on the project.

Importance of Project Management for Successful Project

As projects become larger and more complex, the effective management of them be-

comes proportionally more significant. For these projects, the consequences of decisions

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on, essentially, how well the project is to be managed, with commitment to communica-

tion and coordination, will generally far outweigh the consequences of how well a spe-

cific technical role is performed. The tighter the schedule, the more this need is magni-

fied. The required skills are thus quite different from the technical design, engineering or

construction skills usually associated with most projects. Indeed, on a large complex

project there are aspects outside of the scope of these technical areas that have to be well

managed, if the project objectives are to be met. For this reason, great emphasis must be

placed on the project management team approach, backed by broad based specialized re-

sources.

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Project Management Areas

i. Integration management - Unifying the activities and resources of the project to

complete.

ii. Scope management - Ensuring that the project includes all the work required,

but only the work required to meet the project requirements.

iii. Time management - Ensuring timely completion.

iv. Cost management - Ensuring that the project can be completed within the

project budget.

v. Quality management - Ensuring that the project product will satisfy the project

requirements.

vi. Procurement management - Managing the purchasing and acquisition of outside

goods and services required to complete the project.

vii. Risk management - Identifying and managing project risks.

viii. Communications management - Ensuring timely and appropriate project com-

munication.

ix. Human resource management - Organizing and managing the project team.

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Project Phases

As shown in Figure 1, there are four distinct project periods which make up the

typical project life span.

Figure 1 Project Life Span: Four Basic Periods

These four basic periods are:

Concept - for developing the project parameters in outline

Development - of the plan and design and definition of the facility

Execution of the plan

Transfer of the completed facility over to operations.

MAJOR FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The management functions involved in a project typically includes scope, quality, time,

cost, risk, procurement of human and material resources, and communications manage-

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ment. Each represents a separate discipline calling for special training, and the require-

ment for each function depends on the size and nature of the project in question. These

functions are now considered to be part of the "Modern Project Management.

Project Control Cycle

The basic cycle of management control can easily be remembered by the mnemonic

Plan, Organize, Execute, and Monitor-and-control.

Plan - The first step is to plan the project with respect to scope, quality, time and cost.

What precisely is to be done? Why? If it is, say, a new plant, what is the purpose and

process in the plant? How is the job to be done? Why should the project be done one

way rather than another? Indeed, why should it be done at all? Where is it to be built?

Who will design and construct it? What resources in terms of materials, manpower, fi-

nances and time are required? What risks are involved? What strategies are required to

deal with unplanned occurrences?

Organize - The second basic step is an extension of the first. A careful analysis must be

made of the various activities required in planning and executing a project, to provide a

closely related project team structure. For every project activity (e.g. programming, esti-

mating, design, planning, procurement, construction) there must be a very clear defini-

tion of who is responsible, and who has the authority to execute that activity.

Execute - The methods by which the Plan is executed or implemented are critical. No

project manager (or other member of the project team) will be successful unless he un-

derstands the basic needs of human beings, their strengths and weaknesses, mental and

social abilities, and how to weld a complex mixture of humans into a dynamic and pro-

ductive team. The single most important characteristic of a successful project manager is

his ability to manage people.

Monitor and Control - Continued monitoring, reporting and fore casting must take

place during project implementation, and the forecasts compared to the Plan. Deviations

must immediately receive management attention.

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The Essentials of Project Management range of cost-effective tools for planning

and controlling a project.

The most successful manager will be capable of choosing and using those techniques

that best suit the particular project. But there is obviously far more to managing a project

of any significant size than the application of a few sophisticated techniques and proce-

dures. It involves a whole framework of logical and progressive planning and decisions,

perceptiveness, the liberal application of common sense, proper organization, effective

commercial and financial management, painstaking attention to documentation, and a

clear grasp of proven and long-established principles of management and leadership.

Time, cost and qualityAim of a good project manager must be to achieve success in all aspects of the project.

But it is occasionally necessary to identify one of the three primary objectives (quality,

cost or time) as being of special importance. This will affect the priority given to the al-

location of scarce resources and the way in which management attention should be con-

centrated. It might also influence the choice of project organization structure

.

Project Risks

The third essential element is to have a proper and structured appraisal and management

of project risks Risk as a combination of the probability, or frequency, of occurrence of

a defined hazard and the magnitude of the consequences of the occurrence. In construc-

tion project terms, RISK is the likelihood of negative occurrences adversely affecting

the project, so that its objectives become more difficult or impossible to achieve.

Managing risks effectively facilitates the achievement of project objectives, improves

project performance, increases productivity and the eventual profitability. Hence, spe-

cific considerations need to be given in the appraisal of risks, namely;

Identification of risks (the cause) e.g. hazards - what, where, when, how, why,

etc.

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Analysis of risks identified (the analysis) e.g. likelihood and nature of occur-

rences, etc.

Assessment of risks analyzed (the effects) e.g. consequences and extent of in-

juries, damages,disruptions, delays, etc

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1. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Construction industries around the world suffer from numerous setbacks and problems,

in particular those associated with the construction process. There is therefore the need

to ensure that the setbacks and problems are eliminated or mitigated by effective man-

agement of the construction process in order for the projects to be successful. In order to

achieve excellence in the management of construction projects, it is paramount to appre-

ciate, understand and practice the twelve essential elements or ingredients necessary in

formulating and facilitating effective project management for construction projects.

Effective Project Management, which essentially is about managing the people in the

project, ensures that the planning, organizing, coordination, monitoring and control of

the project from inception to completion will satisfy the client’s requirements and

project objectives to achieve project success.

2. Bibliography

1.1. Book

Sidney M. Levy (2006). Project Management. 5th ed. London: McGraw-Hill.

150-190.

George J. Ritz (1994). Total Construction Project Management. United States of

America. McGraw -Hill. 85-145

F. Lawrence Bennett (2003). The Management of Construction. Burlington: But-

terworth-Heinemann publications. 101-205

Dennis Lock (2001). The Essentials of Project Management. 2nd ed. Burlington:

Gower Publishing Company. 05-225.

N.J Smith (2002). Engineering Project Management. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell

Science. 20-225.

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1.2. Web

R. Max Wideman. (1990). Total Project Management of Complex Projects.

Available: http://www.maxwideman.com/papers/performance/performance.pdf.

Last accessed 17 th September

National Institute of Building Science. (2012). Project Planning, Delivery and

Controls. Availa ble: http://www.wbdg.org/project/pm.php. Last accessed 15 th

September

Modern Construction Group Pty Ltd. (2011). Project Management. Available:

http://www.modernco.com.au/index.php. Last accessed 17 th September

http://smallseotools.com/plagiarism-checker/

http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/Construct_Proj_Mangmnt_CD.pdf

http://www.mbam.org.my/mbam/images/@CIOB%20Spore%20(Eff%20Project

%20Mgmt%20(60-67).pdf

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http://www.mbam.org.my/mbam/images/@CIOB%20Spore%20(Eff%20Project%20Mgmt%20(60-67).pdf

http://www.mbam.org.my/mbam/images/@CIOB%20Spore%20(Eff%20Project%20Mgmt%20(60-67).pdf

http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/Construct_Proj_Mangmnt_CD.pdf

http://smallseotools.com/plagiarism-checker/

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