Quiz preparation

1. Project

In order to understand project management, one must begin with the definition of a project.

A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.’’

Endeavour- an attempt to achieve a goal

A project can be considered to be any series of activities and tasks that:

 Have a specific objective, with a focus on the creation of business value, to be completed
within certain specifications
 Have defined start and end dates
 Have funding limits (if applicable)
 Consume human and nonhuman resources (i.e., money, people, equipment)
 Are multifunctional (i.e., cut across several functional lines)

Characteristics of a project from the slides

 Clear objectives that establish what is to be accomplished

 Carried through a series of interdependent tasks which are non-repetitive
 A project has a specific time frame, or finite life span
 A project maybe a unique or a onetime endeavour
 A project has a sponsor or a customer
 A project involves a degree of uncertainty

2. Difference between portfolio, project and project

A programme is a group of related projects clustered together with the programme manager taking
overall group management responsibility.

• A co-ordinated approach to manage projects should be called into play.

Portfolios and portfolio management

-A collection of projects or programmes and other work that are grouped together to facilitate
effective management of that work to meet strategic business objectives.

 Portfolio managers ought to be senior managers within an organisation.

From PMBOK

From an AEC perspective, entities may describe their portfolios as a specific division, based on
expertise, discipline of service, and geographical location.
Some organizations deliver projects in alignment with programs or portfolios, for example, a public
agency that executes portions of a major waste water treatment plant expansion one project at a
time over a 5- or 10-year time period (see Figure 1-1).

It is common for an organization to explore growth opportunities by expanding its geographical

reach or broadening its construction or design services. One tactic would be the buy-out of
subsidiaries that possess similar disciplines or have experience in a certain market or geographic
region.

For example:
project – construction of a clinic
Programme: construction of clinics
Portfolio: A combination of construction of clinics and hospitals (a portfolio of department of health)

3. Responsibilities of Project Manager

From the slides

 Project Managers (PMs) plan, initiate, and oversee execution of all elements of a project, and
usually work with multiple internal teams, contractors, and clients
 PMs may be involved in early discussions with a client and upper management to ensure they
have a clear understanding of the client’s desired goals and outcomes.
 PMs then determine the resources, processes, and other materials necessary to complete the
project in the desired timeline, and draw up plans for each phase of execution
 This may involve delegating tasks or significant portions of the project to the Project
Coordinators or teams of employees to help maintain a broad overall view of the entire project
throughout
  PMs are responsible for the final quality of a project. Following, project management is more
of a leadership role and involves trusting others to complete specific parts or stages of a plan
or process 

From PMBOK

The Role of the Project Manager in Construction and Special Areas of Expertise

Understanding and applying the knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques that are generally
recognized as good practices is not sufficient for effective construction project management. The
role of the project manager in construction requires specialized expertise, as described below

general management skills provide much of the foundation for learning project management and
are essential for the project manager, as well as the associated roles in construction. However, these
skills go beyond internal organizational skills; they extend to other considerations that influence and
interact with the construction project. These considerations are described within the Knowledge
Areas and are based on the following interpersonal skills:
• Leading. The construction project manager and the project superintendent are generally expected
to be the project leaders. The superintendent is frequently viewed as the site manager responsible
for building the project. The project manager mostly interfaces with executive management and
assumes common project management responsibilities. Leadership is not limited to these individuals
and may be demonstrated by others at different times throughout the project.
• Communicating. Managing the communications and the corresponding documents requires a
consistent effort and a communications plan that covers stakeholders’ needs and their levels of
understanding. For example, the Request for Information (RFI) seeks clarity and direction regarding
construction drawings, specifications, or constructability issues. The flow of information will have
different levels and content depending on the recipients and their project responsibility, making this
an almost universal tool within construction.
• Negotiating. In construction, negotiating occurs around many issues and most often involves the
exchange of money for the performance of services. Estimating the scope and cost of modifications
to the contract and negotiating the proposed costs are just a few examples of where this expertise is
needed.
• Problem Solving. There is an endless range of situations where this skill is useful. For example, in
construction scheduling the proper sequencing of construction activities would also provide a safe
and economically controlled series of site operations. A more complex problem may be a labor
dispute between trade unions where the distinction between causes and symptoms is integrated
and both the corrective and preventive action need resolution in order to solve the problem.
The project manager’s skills
• Leadership ability
• General management skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Stress management skills
• Problem solving skills
• Negotiation skills
• Time management skills

4. QUALITY, TIME, COST AND RISK CONSTRAINTS| PROJECT CONSTRAINTS

NB: Check these constraints on lecture slides

Although many projects are completed successfully, at least in the eyes of the stakeholders, the final
criteria from which success is measured may be different from the initial criteria because of trade-
offs. Trade-offs are situations where one aspect of a project may be sacrificed to gain an advantage
with another aspect. As an example, additional time and money may be needed to make further
improvements in the quality of the project’s deliverables.

Sometimes the constraints are referred to as primary and secondary constraints. There may be
secondary factors such as risk, customer relations, image, and reputation that may cause us to
deviate from our original success criteria of time, cost, and performance. These changes can occur
any time during the life of a project and can then cause trade-offs in the triple constraints, thus
requiring that changes be made to the success criteria.

Secondary factors are also considered to be constraints and may be more important than the
primary constraints. For example, years ago, in Disneyland and Disneyworld, the project managers
designing and building the attractions at the theme parks had six constraints: time, cost, scope,
safety, aesthetic value, and quality. At Disney, the last three constraints of safety, aesthetic value,
and quality were considered locked-in constraints that could not be altered during trade-offs. All
trade-offs were made on time, cost, and scope. Some constraints simply cannot change while others
may have flexibility.

Not all constraints are equal in importance. For example, in the initiation phase of a project, scope
may be the critical factor and all trade-offs are made on time and cost. During the execution phase
of the project, time and cost may become more important and then trade-offs will be made on
scope.

When the number of constraints increases to five or six constraints, it may be difficult, if not
impossible, to meet all of the constraints and a prioritization of constraints may be necessary.

There must be a valid reason for changing the prioritization of the constraints after project go-ahead.

5. PROJECT LIFE CYCLE

Stages undertaken in a project to achieve its goals and objective.
Project life cycle process
 Initiating process group
 Planning process group
 Executing process group
 Monitoring and controlling process group
 Closing process group

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to achieve the
project’s requirements. The knowledge, skills, and tools are usually grouped into activities or
processes. PMI’s PMBOK® Guide identifies five process groups. Some of the activities within these
groups include:

Project initiation

● Selection of the best project given resource limits

● Recognizing the benefits of the project

● Preparation of the documents to sanction the project

● Assigning of the project manager

Project planning

● Definition of the work requirements

● Definition of the quality and quantity of work

● Definition of the resources needed

● Scheduling the activities

● Evaluation of the various risks

Project execution

● Negotiating for the project team members

● Directing and managing the work

● Working with the team members to help them improve

Project monitoring and control

● Tracking progress

● Comparing actual outcome to predicted outcome

● Analyzing variances and impacts

● Making adjustments

Project closure

● Verifying that all of the work has been accomplished

● Contractual closure of the contract

● Financial closure of the charge numbers

● Administrative closure of the paperwork

From PMBOK

Project Life Cycles (page 31)

Most construction projects have a life cycle consisting of conception, design, construction,
commissioning, and closeout, although the industry practice is to break down some of those phases.
The most common type of construction project is one that is performed outside of the owner’s
organization by a contractor company.

The project life cycle varies depending on the perspective taken. Figure 2-2 shows an example of
different perspectives in a project with a predictive life cycle. From the owner’s point of view, the
project life cycle starts when the owner formally decides to undertake the project; from the
contractor’s perspective, the life cycle starts when they decide to bid, and moving from the bid
phase to the design, procurement, and/or construction phase occurs if the contract is awarded.
 6. EXAMPLES OF OPERATIONAL WORK

7. Stakeholder engagement and management

From the lectures slides

Stakeholders are all those who have an interest in the project or are impacted by the project.

Stakeholder management is the systematic identification, analysis and planning of actions to

communicate with, negotiate with and influence stakeholders

What does the process of stakeholder engagement entails?

 Identifying and prioritizing stakeholder interests

 Analysing their interests, requirements and level of influence

 Developing a strategy/plan to manage and communicate effectively with stakeholders

 Implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of stakeholder management plan

 Communicating to stakeholders which of their requirements will be fulfilled or not fulfilled

by the project

 Ensuring the threats and opportunities represented by stakeholders are captured and
proactively managed as risks

 Executing, communicating and managing the changes in the stakeholder management plan
throughout the life cycle

 Gaining the commitment of all stakeholders, including the most challenging.

Classifying stakeholders

Different types of stakeholders

 Dormant stakeholder: board members

 Discretionary stakeholder: they are truthful, not forcing agencies (professionals:
engineers, quantity surveyors, architects etc)
 Dependent stakeholder: local residents affected by the executed project
 Definitive stakeholder: clients because they are ctively involved in the project
(neutral clients/ stakeholders)
 Dangerous and demanding stakeholders: construction mafias
As a project manager you have to characterize your stakeholders
PM Competence and Stakeholder Management
Competent project managers consistently apply their:
1. PM knowledge (technical) and personal behaviors to increase the likelihood of
delivering projects that meet stakeholders' requirements (performance).
2. Requirements state the need that a project has to satisfy and should be
comprehensive, clear, well-structured traceable and testable.
3. Requirements management (a technical competence) is the process of capturing,
analyzing and testing the documented statements of stakeholders and user wants
and needs.
 The project manager is responsible for coordinating and integrating activities across
multiple functional lines.
The integration activities performed by the project manager include:
• Integrating the activities necessary to develop a project plan;
• Integrating the activities necessary to execute the plan; and
• Integrating the activities necessary to make changes to the plan.
Stakeholder Management Skills
• Leading: The construction project managers and the project superintendent are
expected to be the project leaders. The project manager mostly interfaces with
executive management.
• Communicating: Managing the communications and the corresponding documents
require a consistent effort and communications plan that covers stakeholders’ needs
and levels of understanding.
• Negotiating: This occurs around many issues and most often involves the exchange
of money for the performance of services. It also includes estimating the scope and
cost of modifications.
• Problem solving: This skill is important in construction scheduling for proper
sequencing of construction activities to provide a safe and economically controlled
series of site operations. It is also applicable in labor dispute.
8. Type of organisations