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1: The Concept of Project Management

Contents
1.1 Introduction
1.2 The history of project management
1.3 The nature of project management
1.4 The project management standards
1.5 BS 6079 Guide to project management
1.6 The role of the construction related project manager
1.7 Summary

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Unit 1-1

1.1 Introduction
Learning outcomes from this unit
This unit is intended to introduce you to the main concept and philosophy of project
management, the use and purpose of the main project management standards, the role
and contribution of a construction clients professional project manager.
By the time you have finished Unit 1, you should be familiar with:
1.
2.

3.
4.

The concept of project management in the context of construction projects


The project management standards (APM, PMI, RICS, CIOB) and BS6079,
their uses and purposes and the role of the construction related project
manager
The role and contribution of a construction clients professional project
manager in typical construction project teams
How construction related project management differs from normal
management processes

Recommended text for Unit 1


The reading from the recommended texts for Unit 1 is:
Winch GM - Managing Construction Projects, An Information Processing Approach
2nd Edition. Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN 1-4051-8457-1 Ch 1 p. 3-19.
Kerzner, H (2013) - A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling,
John Wiley, 11th Edn. ISBN 978-1-118-02227-6, Select relevant sections in Ch 1 and
Ch 2
Burke, R - Project Management Techniques, 5th Reprint, Burke Publishing ISBN-13:
978-0-9582-7334-3, Ch 1, Ch 2, pages 1-38, (2010).
BS6079: A Guide to Project Management Practice, and ISO 10006: Guidelines to
quality in project management via Customer Services, British Standards Institution
389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL, Phone: +00 44 020 8996 9001
PD 6079-4 Project Management Part 4: Guide to project management in the
construction industry, British Standards Institution 389 Chiswick High Road, London
W4 4AL (2006). ISBN: 0-580-48144-1.
The reading from the recommended background texts for Unit 1 is any of the
following:
Smith N J - Engineering Project Management, Blackwell Publishing, 3rd Edn., ISBN
978-1-4051-6802-1, Select relevant sections in Ch 1.
RICS (1999) Conditions of Engagement for Consultant Project Management Services,
Surveyor Court: Coventry.
Gray, CF and Larson EW - Project Management: The Managerial Process. 5th Edn.
McGraw Hill, Boston, 2008 Ch1, p.3-21.
Meredith JR and Mantel SJ Project Management: A Managerial Approach. 7th Edn.
J Wiley & Sons, Inc. Ch. 1, p. 1-34.
CIOB (2010) Code of practice for Project Management for Construction and
Development, 4th Edn. Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN: 978-1-4051-9420-4

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Unit 1-2

1.2 The history of project management


Construction projects have been managed since societies first developed the skills
required to construct. Conventionally, in Europe this was the responsibility of the
master of the works. However, the emergence of a concept of project management is
a phenomenon of the twentieth century.
Project management, as a discipline was essentially a spin off from the atomic bomb
development program, Project Alamos, in the 1940s. This was the first really
complex, high technology project to be operated by mankind. It was seen that there
was a need for a highly dedicated and well-developed team to work together on such
projects, in order that the required standards could be delivered on time and within
cost.
This requirement was reinforced with the development of several major military
projects through the 1950s. Examples included the design and construction of the
Polaris nuclear submarine fleet for the US Navy. The discipline developed until the
Project Management International (PMI) in the US and the Association for Project
Management (APM) in the UK were formally instituted in the 1960s. However, it
became associated with a particular set of project control tools and techniques most
notably critical path analysis which held back its further development and application
to construction. Gradually the concepts of project management emerged and became
diffused into the construction industry so that today it is seen as being associated with
the management of the total project throughout its lifecycle.
The APM produced its Body of Knowledge in 1988 (regularly updated now 5th
Edition in 2009), and assisted greatly in the preparation of BS6079 in 1996 and ISO
10006 in 1997 (The current version of ISO 10006 is the 2003 version). These
documents are British and European standards for project management practice and in
many ways mark the frontiers of the development of the discipline as a profession
today. APM also certifies professional project managers.
In the USA, the Project Management Institute (PMI) has developed a similar
publication. Their guide document on project management PMBOK is used in many
parts of the world.
Visit: www.pmi.org and www.apm.org.uk for further information on the two
institutes.
APM and PMI issue certificates for professional project managers after completing
relevant study and examination. These certificates are valued by several large
organizations. Prince2 is the current standard promoted by the APM in the UK. The
PMI offers Project Management Professional certificate to members.

1.3 The nature of project management


The CIOB (2010) sets out the purpose of project management in the following terms,
namely to add significant and specific value to the process of delivering construction
projects. This is achieved through the application of a set off generic project
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orientated management principles throughout the life of the project. The CIOB assert
that project management processes can be applied to all construction projects but that
for smaller or less complex projects the role may well be combined with another
discipline e.g. the design team leader.
Projects have been defined by a number of authors but in general they can be said to
contain some or all of the following characteristics,

a project is a unique undertaking: each one will differ from every other in
some respect
projects have specific objectives (or goals) to be achieved
projects require resources
projects have budgets
projects have time schedules
projects require the effort of people
measures of quality will apply

Construction related projects are executed in an atmosphere of risk and uncertainty. In


addition construction projects need to have concern for sustainability and the health
and safety of all project participants and stakeholders. Increasingly construction
related projects are looking to establish a single point of responsibility for clients and
this is a role most often taken by the project manager. Projects can vary in range, size
and shape from large multi-million pound infrastructure works such as road, bridges,
airports that take years to complete to small domestic projects with restricted budgets
that take just a few weeks to complete. It is clear that construction related projects are
organised works that need to be produced in context of pre defined goals or
objectives. A projects success can be measured in terms of how closely it has met its
predetermined objectives.
Amongst other definitions of project management are the following,
the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project
activities in order to meet stakeholders needs and expectations from a
project (APMBoK)
The art of directing and coordinating human and material resources
throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques
to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality and
participant satisfaction (PMI)
the planning, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the
motivation of all those involved to achieve the project objectives on time
and to cost, quality and performance (BS 6079)
It revolves around the management of planned change and in the context
of construction projects with problems in the lack of information it
revolves around making robust decisions to affect the creation of value
(Winch)

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What is clear is that project management and the application of its tools and
techniques have moved progressively from concentration upon the problems apparent
at the execution or tail end of a project towards problems found at the front end ..
from downstream to upstream... and as such project management in construction
now needs to engage in the whole process that starts from project inception and
continues with many interactions with differing organisations to conclude with the
commissioning and operation of the completed built environment asset.
The Construction Industry Council (2000) defined the nature of project management
in the construction industry as being concerned with

defining the business need


producing a project delivery strategy
project briefing processes
evaluating and managing project risks
managing the design of the project
procuring resources and skills to deliver the project
controlling project costs, quality and timing of the project delivery
commissioning and accepting the project

Project management is the managerial responsibility and actions involved in


accomplishing a project on time, in budget and to the specified quality standards. The
project manager is responsible for all aspects of the management system required in
order to achieve these objectives. The definition of project is more difficult. In the
simplest form, a project is a known objective with some form of parameters or limits
applying to it. Generally all projects evolve through a similar process and through
identifiable cycles.
Classic project management skills are required. These include good all round
management skills, thorough understanding of project management objectives, varied
and wide technical knowledge, and a wide knowledge, backed up with experience of
how projects evolve from the earliest inception stages to final completion and
commissioning (close out), preferably in a number of different industries.
Project management differs from other traditional management disciplines in several
ways. Conventional specifically trained management practice concerns itself being
completely responsible with initiating, planning, controlling, executing, and closing a
process that involves resources such as labour, materials and plant in order to deliver
a product within recognised constraints of time, cost and quality over a period of time
that allows for process repetition. In construction, a lead consultant who is usually an
architect or civil engineer traditionally manages projects. As such, the lead consultant
is educated as a designer but acts in a management capacity.
In addition, lead consultants are traditionally appointed to cover sections of the
overall lifecycle project. One consultant might be appointed to carry out the feasibility
study, while another might be appointed to manage the design and construction
processes. Traditionally, there has been little direct involvement of lead consultants in
commissioning, operation, decommissioning and recycling. In other words, the lead
consultant manages windows or snapshots, but not the whole lifecycle. This approach
tends to lead to a problem referred to as sentience. This problem centres on the
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project being led by built environment professionals who are concerned with their
own discipline related issues as well as the delivery of successful project
management. It is asserted that this traditional approach causes conflicts to appear in
the service such professionals offer to their clients. The use of project management
processes and the appointment of a project manager, with no specific discipline
related skills other than general project management skills, can combat this problem
of sentience. Also as the project management process identifies the project manager
as the person with single point responsibility for project success then clients can
assess project performance on a more transparent basis.
Traditionally, there has been no real standardisation of practice for professional
consultants. There have been the professional bodies and their codes of conduct, but
there has never been any real attempt to standardise how projects are set up and
managed or what cost control systems are used and so on. Project management
attempts to address some of these restrictions.
It is about using fully trained project management professionals to run projects, rather
than designers acting as managers. It is about managing the project from inception to
operation (and even decommissioning in some cases) through an agreed and complete
project lifecycle. Project management is about providing a specialist who can provide
combined time, cost and quality control, using national and international standards of
professional practice. It replaces the traditional diversified project teams led by a
designer acting as a manager, with a coherent project team led by a professional
project manager.
The objective of project management may be defined as the successful completion of
the project, on time, within cost and to the required standards of performance in the
context of sustainability and within the constraints of consideration for health and
safety for project participants and other stakeholders.
Given the wider role of construction related project management it is necessary to
consider the following issues so as to ensure that project success can be achieved .
For instance consider,
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)

(vi)

(vii)

define project objectives - it would be necessary to establish, define, and


communicate clear objectives for a project and all phases of a project
risks it would be necessary to identify, assess and assign risks to aid
management of the construction delivery processes
timely decision making it would be necessary for instance to agree /
signing off designs / plans prior to the project production phase initiating
project planning it would be necessary to allocate appropriate resources
to planning to achieve efficient production
time and money it would be necessary to consider resource allocation
and evaluation as a joint item as value can be achieved if rewards of
project production at a fast pace outweigh the extra costs involved
project team it would be necessary to have/build a committed team
associated with project success and so it would be necessary to seek to
achieve commitment in team where the main risks are located
control - it would be necessary to consider resource requirement so as to
have it minimised especially if planning has been properly effected

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(viii)

(ix)

(x)

(xi)

organisational learning it is recognised that project success would be


more likely if organisational learning from experience of other projects can
be captured and disseminated
contract strategy it should be considered whether contracts to be used
can motivate and identify risks/and reward processes should be made
explicit
external environment it will be necessary to ensure that all decision
makers are aware of and can accommodate change caused by market
circumstances, clients etc
personal development it would be appropriate to ensure resource was
made available for training, team building, performance appraisal,
personal reflection and professional development

Burke (2003, p.10) details the benefits of project management and students are
referred to that source for an extensive list of potential benefits of construction
project management over more conventional methods of construction project
delivery.

1.4 The project management standards, and their relationship


with project management
The approach of project management to deliver projects and through such successful
projects, now increasingly to deliver organisational and business management success
is being supported by the establishment of benchmark standards that are being
identified by the differing project management organisations.
Project management practice is anchored on national and international standards.
There are several standards in use around the globe but in the UK the major standards
that are used as the basis for professional construction related project management
practice are the Association for Project Management (APM) Body of Knowledge and
the BS 6079 and ISO10006. The RICS also produce their own conditions of
engagement for consultant project managers (see later material) and the CIOB have
also produced a guide to construction project management. The APM, RICS and the
CIOB are the professional bodies that operate in the UK and which are in competition
to become established as the principal professional body for construction related
project managers.
The APM Body of Knowledge is the UK equivalent of the US (PMI) model. It is
interdisciplinary and is applicable to all industries. It establishes the standards and
areas of responsibility for project managers in all industrial sectors. As such it is a
general document. BS6079 and the related ISO 10006 are UK and EC benchmarks for
generic project management practice. They set national and international standards for
practice while still being heavily based on APM approaches. These standards act
together to set international standards. The APMs view is that BS6079 will go on to
become an EC wide standard for project management.
Organisations such as the International Project Management Association (IPMA) and
the Project Management Institute (PMI) are involved in identifying the contribution
that effective management of projects can make to business success, and the
development of competencies for project managers. The basis of such professional
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competencies is being established by the PMI and the Association of Project


Management (APM). The RICS, the leading professional body for built environment
professionals operating in the UK and increasingly around the world now recognise
project management as a separate faculty within the Institution which has its own
specialist skills, knowledge and practices.
The lists below indicate the differing areas of knowledge that each of the above
consider as being relevant to the professional construction project manager.
PMI BoK 5th Edition (2013)
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge Fifth Edition provides
guidelines for managing individual projects and defines project management related
concepts. It also describes the project management life cycle and its related processes,
as well as the project life cycle. The Guide recognizes 47 processes that fall into five
basic process groups and ten knowledge areas that are typical of most projects.

The five process groups are:


1. Initiating: processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an
existing project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.
2. Planning: Those processes required to establish the scope of the project,
refine the objectives, and define the course of action required to attain the
objectives that the project was undertaken to achieve.
3. Executing: Those processes performed to complete the work defined in the
project management plan to satisfy the project specifications
4. Monitoring and Controlling: Processes required to track, review, and
regulate the progress and performance of the project; identify any areas in
which changes to the plan are required; and initiate the corresponding
changes.
5. Closing: Processes performed to finalize all activities across all Process
Groups to formally close the project or phase.

The ten knowledge areas are:


1. Project Integration Management
2. Project Scope Management
3. Project Time Management
4. Project Cost Management
5. Project Quality Management
6. Project Human Resource Management
7. Project Communications Management
8. Project Risk Management
9. Project Procurement Management
10. Project Stakeholders Management

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APM - Handbook for Project Managers (2009)


Project context Life
Programme management
Cultural influences
Project success criteria
Strategy/Project Plan
Value Management
Risk management
Quality Management
Health, Safety & Environment
Work Content & Scope Management
Time Scheduling
Resource Management
Budget & Cost Management
Change Control
Earned Value Management
Information Management
Design Management

Cycle Design Management


Post Project Evaluation Review
Organisational structures
Communication
Teamwork
Project Leadership
Conflict Management
Human resource management
Hand-over management
Configuration management
Financial Management
Procurement

Given the above it can be seen that the material in this module cannot cover the full
range of topics addressed in project management processes and so the student needs
to appreciate that the module addresses only the core areas of project management
processes as applied in typical construction projects. The student is recommended to
access the current APM Book of Knowledge and become familiar with the
standardised generic processes advocated there for the management of projects in
general. The approach advocated in BS 6079 is the approach that underpins the
material and its consideration in the rest of this module.

1.5 BS 6079 Guide to Project Management


BS6079 is the British Standard Guide to Project Management. It is a very detailed
summary of current international project management processes. BS 6079 and the
APM BoK indicate that a key project management tool is the generation and
application of a strategic planning document for the project. This document is the
generic or master/strategic project plan (referred to as a PMP or SPP). The PMI and
ISO10006 use another term for this document namely a project execution plan
(PEP).
The philosophy of the PMP is based on standardisation. At present, projects can be set
up and run in any form that the individual manager responsible considers best. There
is no standard requirement for document preparation, recording, cost planning and
control, or even of quality control. Projects are set up and executed in numerous
different ways both between industries and within the same industries. Each
organisation has its own procedures, and even members of the same design
professions may have different approaches to designing and recording information.
This has obvious drawbacks. It makes it very difficult for anyone to evaluate project
performance and individual project team performance, because there are so many
unknown variables. It would be useful to be able to measure how well a design team
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has performed in relation to the fees that have been paid. At present, this is not
possible because of the levels of information in the system, and the difficulties
involved in being able to isolate individual performance characteristics when there are
so few constants.
BS 6079 attempts to address this problem, at least in part. The standard establishes a
standard generic project plan that is applied to all projects. An agricultural project
would therefore be set up in exactly the same way as a construction project. The
PMP/PEP is a master plan that develops the details of the strategic stages of a projects
lifecycle and provides a baseline for anticipated costs and time /programme against
which the consequences of changes can be evaluated. The PMP/PEP is also a control
document that addresses organisations, support processes, environmental, health and
safety systems. A preliminary PMP/PEP can be prepared as part of the assessment of
a projects business case. Once authority has been given to go ahead with the project
then the PMP/PEP can be expanded to match the level of emergent project
information. The PMP/PEP can be produced in draft form as part of the project
scope management process and in final form as an action planning/taking document
once the client or project sponsor has given final approval for the project to proceed.
The PMP/PEP is a live document that is subjected to revisions as the project itself
develops. Nonetheless it is a key strategic planning tool and it usually contains a
number of core aspects such as a statement of works (SOW), a procurement strategy,
an organisational breakdown structure (OBS), a work breakdown structure (WBS), a
task responsibility matrix (TRM), and a programme for the works.
BS 6079 is an important document, but the sections on the recommended format for
the PMP are extremely important. The following are the main sections of a basic
PMP/PEP indicated by BS6079, namely
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)

Introduction and summary


Commitment (budgets) and acceptance procedures
Project work breakdown structure (WBS)
Organisational breakdown structure (OBS)
Schedule or programme
A statement of work (SOW)

Generic or strategic project master/execution plan (PMP/PEP) to BS 6079


A more detailed and comprehensive PMP/PEP for a more complex project
contains the following sections which are detailed in BS 6079, such as, title
page, summary, contents, distribution and amendment record, introduction,
project description (SOW), aims and objectives, project policy and project
approvals, project organisation, project harmonisation, project implementation
strategy, acceptance procedure, programme management, procurement
strategy, contract management, communications management, configuration
management, financial management, risk management, project resource
management, test and evaluation, reliability management, health and safety
management, environmental issues, integrated logistics support, project team
organisation, staff directory, staff organisational chart, management reporting
systems, project diary

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In summary the PMP/PEP will identify significant project milestones such as,

The identification and agreement on project objectives and success


criteria

The amount of physical and financial resources needed for the project

The plan of action for the project

The resources for the design need to be identified, obtained and a design
generated and approved

The resources for the production of the project need to be identified, obtained
and managed to construct, commission and pay for the project
A more detailed consideration of the contents and sections within a strategic
PMP/PEP is provided in the next section of this module.

Self assessment questions:

1.

What is the international significance of BS6079?

2.

What are the obvious drawbacks of a practice standard?

1.6 The role of the construction related project manager


Project managers are increasingly being recognised and employed in organisations of
differing types, sizes and orientation. In construction, project managers can be
employed by firms and organisations employed in small sized sub contactor and
supplier organisations, work package sub contractors and principal contractors,
consultant design organisations, as well as within their own specialised project
management consultancy. It is usual to find on many construction projects that there
is more than one person whose role is described as being a project manager. This
can cause confusion to students of project management. It must be remembered that
project management is concerned with generic processes that can be applied wherever
the project management practitioner is located.
In construction projects it is normal to find project managers acting for differing
participating organisations. For instance the principal contractor will normally have a
project manager and perhaps assistant project managers resident on the site,
depending on the size and complexity of the project. Similarly many of the larger sub
contractors will employ a project manager to coordinate their activities and liaise with
the project managers of the principal contractor. Increasingly client organisations will
also have their own professional project managers who are concerned with the overall
planning, management, and delivery of the project as well as the integration of the
project within the clients other business activities. It is this role that that this module
assumes as its focus. This role is increasingly being undertaken by consultant
professional project managers. Such lead or clients project managers can be located
in their own consultancy or are drawn from other large multi disciplinary
consultancies that provide services such as design, quantity surveying, safety, and
planning supervision for their construction clients.
The RICS, in their Conditions of Engagement (RICS, 1999), set out the services that
professional construction project managers could be involved with, namely
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1. Site selection
3. Agency, valuation & funding
5. Other consultant appointments
7. Reporting and meetings
9. Capital budgeting

2. Project analysis & feasibility studies


4. Legal services
6. Brief, design and quality control
8. Programming
10. Construction economics & financial
management
11. Cash flow
12. Statutory compliance
13. Contract procedures
14. Contract management
15. Building management, commissioning and maintenance
16. Tenancies and fitting out
The RICS conditions of engagement make it clear that although consultant project
managers could be involved in all of the above areas of service provision it is more
likely that their services actually required on many projects would be tailored from
the above list to suit the particular project circumstances.
Given the issues indicated as being relevant by the differing Project Management
standards and guides reviewed above it can be seen that the role of the project
manager involves using a systematic approach to ......

ensure the project is clearly defined and understood by all


enable the project objectives to match the business objectives of the sponsor
organisation
allow responsibilities for different parts of the project to be understood,
allocated and agreed
adopt a logical approach to planning & estimating resources
provide a consistent means of monitoring and controlling progress
provide reassurance by demonstrating visible control

In general terms the project manager is also responsible for .

project definition & milestones


overall project budget
strategic project plan (SPP) & work breakdown structure (WBS) & Task
responsibility matrix (TRM), draft master plan (DMS)
task definitions & responsibility charts
performance reports time and cost
quality standards related to project process and product
end of phase & project review reports

The role of the project manager is addressed in detail in Chapter 3 of Meredith and
Mantels book p.107-133.
The project manager and the project environment
The project environment is the context within which the idea and reality of the project
are achieved and developed. It includes everything around the project that could

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influence it, including: economic climate, labour market, investment levels, political
factors, levels of economic activity, legal etc.
Each of these factors will have some influence on the project at each stage. For
example, the finance available and interest rates may well influence the size and scope
of the project, and the way in which it develops. External or environmental factors
may necessitate design cuts or savings in the later stages etc. The project manager has
to be aware of all environmental factors and the ways in which they can affect the
project. The project manager has to have wide general knowledge covering subjects
outside the area of management specialism.
The project manager therefore needs to have a reasonable understanding of the current
economic, political and environmental issues and how these affect the project,
together with any social, legal or aesthetic influences that may have an effect. Again,
it is preferable if the project manager has this knowledge and experience in relation to
more than one industry.
In construction project teams, the main players are likely to be:
Project Manager
Increasingly, the project manager is specifically qualified and experienced in project
management. (S)he is in charge of the project team and is responsible for the
successful conclusion of the project. BS6079 indicates that the project manager is the
individual with the responsibility for managing the project to specific objectives. A
professional consultant project manager can manage the project on behalf of the client
from inception to completion and occupation.
Architect
The architect does the main design work. (S)he is usually a professionally qualified
member of The Royal Institution of British Architects (RIBA) in the UK, and
produces the design drawings and schedules up to the award of the contract. Then
variation or change orders are issued (in some cases) and the architect is responsible
for inspections etc right through the construction phase.
Engineer
Engineers design civil, structural or services works. They are usually professionally
qualified and, in the UK, are members of The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) or
members of The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). They
undertake engineering design work and, like the architect, produce additional designs
for variation orders, carrying out on site inspections as required by their contract.
Quantity Surveyor
The quantity surveyor (QS) is responsible for cost planning and control (cost
management). He or she is usually professionally qualified and in the UK is a member
of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The surveyor monitors the
cost of the design as it develops, providing revised estimates. The QS prepares the
bills of quantities and issues them to tendering contractors. The QS checks the priced
bills and recommends on the award of contract, then monitors expenditure through the
construction phase, agreeing interim payments right through to the settlement of the

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final account. Quantity surveyors can also work for contracting organisations to cost
plan, procure sub contractors and prepare payment claims.
Construction Managers
The construction managers are usually employed by contracting organisations and
they are responsible for the production of the construction project on the site. They
may be responsible for the entire project or they may be responsible for parts or
sections of the project. The construction managers are professional people who are
usually members of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). Increasingly the
construction managers are responsible for planning and programming the works and
liaising with the domestic and nominated sub contractors who are employed to
undertake specified sections of the project.
Project Sponsor BS6079 indicates that this is an individual or body for whom the
project is undertaken and who is the main risk taker. The project sponsor can be
thought of as the client organisation(s) although the project sponsor can also be the
individual representing the client organisation/sponsoring body and to whom the
project manager reports.
Stakeholders of the project are those who have the potential to influence the course
of a project. They can be members of the project team and so be the direct parties to a
contract. Stakeholders can also be indirect in that they are part of the community in
which the project is situated. The statutory/planning system in place in the project
location can also be indirect stakeholders in that they can have influence over the
project.
Others
Individual teams may involve other specialists such as building surveyors, who are
usually members of the RICS and who are concerned with altering and refurbishing
existing buildings, a services co-ordinator (on complex services projects) and a CDM
Coordinator (CDM regulations, 2007).

1.6 Summary
This unit has introduced the main concepts of project management in the context of
construction projects. The unit has considered the contents and uses of the project
management standards (APM, PMI, RICS, CIOB and BS 6079), their uses and
purposes, the problem of sentience in construction project management, and the role
and contribution of the clients project manager as well as other members of a
construction project team.

Self assessment questions


1. Explain what project management is and set out the benefits of
applying it to a large scale complex construction project instead of
using a conventional design consultant as the lead consultant.
2. Outline the role and responsibilities of the clients professional project
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manager.
3. Consider project management and general management and set out
the major differences between the two concepts.
4. An international banking organisation is the client for a large, complex,
commercial city centre refurbishment project and it is unsure about
using consultant project managers as the lead consultants for this
project. Make the case for a project management consultancy rather
any other type of consultancy to be appointed as the lead consultant
for the project.

Heriot-Watt University

Unit 1-15

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