SPL3

THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT IN A CONTEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

MANAGEMENT PRACTICE

PROJECT: This can be defined as follows.

1. A Project is the use or application of one or more scarce resources of the 3M’s (Man Material
and Money). Within a specific time frame with the hope of achieving an investment return
(result). It could further be defined as an intervention tool designed to influence the direction
and speed of development.
2. A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique deliverable (product, service
or result). The temporary nature of a project is that a project has a definite beginning and the
end. The end of a project is reached when the project objectives have been achieved or the
project is terminated because its objective cannot be met, when the need for the project is no
more in existence.
3. A project may also be terminated if the client (customer, sponsor or champion) wishes to
terminate the project.

FEATURES OF A PROJECT

-Must have a need

-Must have a beginning and end

-Must have limited resources of the 3M’s

-Must be unique on its own

-Must have potentials, risks and uncertainty

-Must be result oriented

Salient points

Temporary; A definite beginning and end . Also it does not necessarily mean that the duration of the
project is short, rather it refers to the project engagement and its longevity.

Unique; No two projects have exactly the same factors associated with it, although they might have the
same repetitive elements in their deliverables and activities but it does not change the fundamental
unique characteristic of the project work.’

A Project can be;

A Project can be;

A finished product or component of another item

A capability to perform a service e.g., a business function

A result e.g., an outcome of a research work

An improvement in the existing product or service lines.

PROGRAM: Can be defined in the following ways.

It is the use or application of one or more scarce resources of the 3m’s (Man Material and Money) in a
continuous manner (No time limit) without any cost benefits.

A program is defined as a group of related projects, subprograms, and program activities managed in a
coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually.

COMPARATIVE OVERVIEW OF PROJECT AND PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT.

THE MEANING AND CONCEPT OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Definition:

Project management is about creating an environment for achievement of defined goals in a controlled
manner by a team of people. In order to compete in a fast paced and high technical world, you need to
master the best practice in project management.

According to (PMBOK) Project Management Body of Knowledge 5th edition, project management is the
application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirement
& objectives. Project Management is however accomplished through the appropriate application &
integration of the 47 logically grouped project management processes, which are categorized into 5
process groups namely;

-Initiating: Develop project charter, identify stake holders

-Planning : Requirement, Scope, WBS, Sequence, Estimate, Budget, Quality, Communication, Risk,
Procurement.

-Executing: Quality Assurance, Develop and Manage Project Team, Conduct Procurement,
Manage Stake holder engagement.

-Monitoring & control : Validate Scope, Control Scope, Control Schedule, Perform Quality control,
Control Risk, Control Procurement, Control Stake holder.

-Closing out: Close Project and Close Procurement, Lessons learnt.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) (1998) defined project management as:

“The planning control and co-ordination of a project from conception (including commissioning) on
behalf of a client is concerned with the identification of the client’s objectives in terms of utility,
function, quality, time and cost and the establishment of relationships between resources. The
integration, monitoring and control of the contributors to the project and their output and the
evaluation and satisfaction with the project outcome are fundamental aspects of construction project
management”.

A third variant sees project management as encompassing construction management, hence it means
acting for the client in applying professional expertise and experience to do for the client what he would
wish to do for himself had he the time, knowledge, skill and experience to do so. A project manager
provides a coordinated service to the client.

A fourth approach in terms of meaning is that project management in the building construction industry
is the application of management functions of planning, organizing, directing and controlling in the
combination of resources (human, plants, materials, capital etc) for the realization of a building or
construction project at budget within specified quality and time frame and in consonance with clients
requirements.

Therefore, the scope of project management services is limited to the requirements of the clients or the
circumstances of the employer’s organization. In the construction industry, the scope may be in any of
the following;

-Managements of pre-contract operations.

-Management of post-contract operations.

-Management of both pre-contract and post contract operation.

CONCEPT (THE NEED FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES)

Since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been a new challenge to every current and potential
employee or practice in the job market of ‘’what they have to offer” The only way out is to have a
marketable strategy or edge.

The concept of project management however originated because of some or all of the following needs:

-Decreasing quality of professional’s work.

-Increasing complexity of projects.

-Greater degree of financial planning.

-Reduction in design and completion time.

-Increasing burden or demands of project administration at both pre and post contract stages.

-Poor coordination by design professionals who also carryout management functions.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS A TOOL FOR CHANGE

New technology or initiative creates projects that must be managed.

Project management however benefits organization and individuals by :

-Ensuring utilization of limited resources in the right direction.

-Ensuring utilization of human resources in achieving desired goal.

-Ensuring management of complex changes in an organized way.

-Assessing and managing risk index.

WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMBOK 5th Edition, Project Management is
the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet the project
requirements. Project management is accomplished through the appropriate application and integration
of the 47 logically grouped project management processes, which are categorized into five Process
Groups.

These five Process Groups are:

Initiating

Planning

Executing

Monitoring and controlling, and

Closing

Managing a project typically includes, but is not limited to:

Identifying requirements;

Addressing the various needs, concern and expectations of the stakeholders in Planning and
executing the project;
 Setting up, maintaining, and carrying out communication among stakeholders that is active,
effective, and collaborative in nature;

Managing stakeholders towards meeting projects requirements and creating project

deliverables;

Balancing the competing projects constraints, which include, but are not limited to:

Scope

Quality

Schedule

Budget

Resources and

Risks.

The specific project characteristics and circumstances can influence the constraints on which the project
management team needs to focus.

The Project Manager

The project manager is the person assigned by the performing organization to achieve project
objectives. A project manager must have people- managing and inter-personal skills and general
management skills such as negotiation, leadership and mentoring.

Effective project management requires that the project manager possess the following characteristics:

Knowledge- what project manager knows about project management?

Performance- what the project manager is able to accomplish.

Personal- how a project manager behaves when performing the project.

Some of the skills that must be possessed by the project manager to deliver organization projects
include:

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Budgeting skills

Problem solving skills

Negotiating skills

Leadership skills

Team building and human resources.

PM Core Competencies

ISSUES of Project Management:

i. Project success: a project is successful if it delivers the expected result on time within budget limit.

ii. Why projects succeed:

Manage and control scope changes.

Create a detailed plan and track progress against it using progress chart.

Assign correct resources to the specific task.

Manage risk and uncertainty effectively.

Involve stakeholder’s participation.

Maintain good communication channel.

iii.Successful project:

End-users apparently involved throughout the development.

The project manager had the full backing of the executives.

Specifications were clear cut. There was close ranking between the project team and end-users.

Project expectations were realistic. All project’s constraint were adequately

iv. Challenged project:

Users input were inadequate or thoroughly lacking. Passive users got chance to
comment after project was neatly handed over to them

Project specifications were incomplete in the light of the global technological changes.

Hence, specification will keep on changing over period of execution. The project team
keeps on incorporating the changes to satisfy the client or stakeholders.

Executive management showed little or no interest in putting out fires that flared up
during project execution. No proper resolution of issues, approval for payment not prompt. In-
house experts pose threat rather than being an asset.

v. Failed project:

-Users failed to provide complete requirement.

- Users were not involved in the development process.

-The project had no resource/ or inadequate resource for its completion

Executive management did not have any interest.

Planning was a casualty

Specifications were coming due to changes in business environment.

The project was technically incompetent.

Scope management and base lining was absent.

THE ROLE OF PROJECT MANAGER IN THE MODERN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY:

The project manager in the executive status provides only management functions: he is not concerned
with technical responsibilities but coordinates and integrates the contributions of the respective
professional consultants. He merely welds the consultants and contractors (if appointed) and all
selecting consultants and contractors, arranging project briefing and user requirements, organizing the
ultimate project operation and arranging commissioning.

The executive project manager is involved where the project scope is wide and complex to ensure
operational efficiency.

In performing his functions, the project manager may assume either:

An executive role

A non-executive role.
AN EXECUTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT ROLE

This status is also referred to as total project management.

The figure below shows this status.

The project manager here is given a free hand by the employer/ client to deliver the completed project
in accordance with the agreed objectives. The project manager would therefore have direct contractual
relationship with the contractor and consultants.

A NON-EXECUTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT STATUS (INDEPENDENT FUNCTION)

The project manager here provides management services and operates like one of the consultants. In
fact he may be called a management contractor who performs a management function under a
professional services contract with the employer.

THE STRUCTURE OF NON-EXECUTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT ROLE

All the structure consultants have contractual relationship with the employer/ client. In Nigeria, it is
suggested that the non-executive role be carried out by any of the professional members of the design
team. That is, The Architect, Engineer and The Quantity Surveyor.

Under the non-executive structure, the project manager is expected to perform the following roles:

1. Technical supervision: To earn the respect of clients and co-professionals, the projects manager must
be technically competent. This will also enable him to respond to problems more efficiently.

2. Planning: The project requirements are divided into elements for effective management. This
eliminates unnecessary cases and anticipating solution to them when they occur.
 3. Organizing: He should be involved where practicable in the selection of the project tam and
allocation and management of responsibilities.

4. Directing: The project manager must coordinate the activities of the project team and motivate them
to achieve results.

5. Controlling: this involves:

Technical quality

Budget

Schedule

Client satisfaction

The project must ensure that the final product is as planned

6. Financial management: The project manager is most familiar with the project and the client and
hence would ensure strict accountability.

7. Marketing assistance: The project manager is also a firm’s public relations personnel. He must be able
to sell ideas very easily. The success of the project at hand may attract future projects.

ROLE OF THE PROJECT MANAGER IN SUMMARY:

Responsible for all phases of projects: direction, planning, admin.

Assist in land acquisition.

Obtain planning approval.

Hire labor, plants, machineries, and fund.

Central point of contact for all stakeholders.

Coordinate activities.

Track project schedule.

Significance

Ensure that task is completed on time.

Monitoring

Value for money.

Benefits

Job satisfaction on the path of project despite stress undertaken.

Positive working relations with stakeholders.

Relevance of Project Management to an Architect

Project goal is defined.

Appropriate utilization of limited fund is ensured.

Appropriate utilization of limited time is ensured.

Appropriate utilization of human resource is ensured.

Uniqueness is the sense that every project is a new thing.

 QUALIFICATIONS :

To carry out the project management service, the practitioner is expected to have a project
management training so to be at home with the management, financial and accounting aspects of the
project. The training is better as a mid carrier course after some years of practice.

Therefore, any of the construction professional with the required attributes and training can
confidently carry-out the function of project management. Some of the requirement include knowledge
of design and construction, contract law, programming and progressing, budgetary control, power of
communications, administration, power of persuasion, diplomacy, energy and drive. Must have a team
skill which includes being able to work with other stakeholders as a single team

Role of the Architect as a Project Manager

THE ARCHITECT AS A PROJECT MANAGER IN THE TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE (COMBINED FUNCTION)

The architect traditionally provides both design and management responsibilities in building
projects. As earlier stated, the new fee scale has recognized and provided a separate fee for the
management function originally provided (free of charge) by the architect.

SHORT COMINGS OF THE TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE

The standard form of building contract has not separated the management responsibilities from
the architects design functions. This by implementation means that the architect will for a very
long time be saddled with the dual role of a manager and a designer, but they have not done
anything to ensure that this structure is separated.

Many projects are still poorly managed by architect thereby giving room for criticism by the allied
professionals. Architects should improve their knowledge, general competence in the area of project
management to ensure that their leadership in the industry will not be questioned. Some of the
architect’s responsibilities under these structures are:

Coordinating and incorporating the work of specialist consultants and nominated sub-
contractors.

Assisting the employer in pre-qualification of contractors and sub-contractors and advising on

suitable prospective tenderers.

Obtaining, analyzing and reporting on open tenders and preparing and advising on the
appointment of works contractors .

Arrange for possessions of site and examination of contractors program including cash flows.

Arranging insurances and obtaining any other consent required for effective coordination and
execution of the project.

Coordinating site supervision by specialist consultants.

Arranging site meetings and producing and circulating site meeting reports (minutes of the site
meetings).

Issuing interim payment certificates.