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Paper Summary

The authors note that the planning processes for construction projects have failed. Their

aim in the paper is to identify the cause of the failures. They do this by examining the planning

process more closely. They begin by defining planning as the decision making process that is

performed before any action, which strives to design a desired future and effective ways of

bringing it about. The planning process identifies the activities to be performed, methods,

resources, and timing. They then examine the different reasons why people planning as well as

the planning process. Different people have looked at planning from different perspectives and

this has added to the lack of clear definition. The authors note that planning is a multi-level and

multi-stage process. People in different levels within the organization are involved in some

aspect of the planning process. In their definition and explanations, the authors look at the

different topics from a normative approach as well as the current practice. This enables them to

identify any deficiencies.

One of the main problems affecting planning is the over emphasis of scheduling over the

planning process itself. People have failed to distinguish between planning and scheduling and

this has led to ineffectiveness in the planning process. They observe that there is a need to focus

on planning methods for the entire project. The reasons for the over emphasis on scheduling

instead of planning stems from the training that the personnel have received as well as the goals

of the construction project. The main goals of construction projects are cost, time, and quality.
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Many people tend to place less focus to quality due to its intangible nature. On the aspect of

training, the authors note that most of the programs that are geared towards construction

management and engineering fail to recognize the importance of the construction process.

Instead, they tend to concentrate on production management, quantitative techniques, and

scheduling.

One of the main purposes of planning is to assist the manager to direct and control.

Another role is to enable and enhance communication and coordination between different parties

with the aim of accomplishing objectives. Planning also functions to facilitate project control.

This is important in measuring, and evaluating performance, as well as taking any corrective

action that is required, based on the results obtained. In practice, most people tend to focus more

on the role of control as the main function of practice. This can lead to negative effects, as it is

distractive and dysfunctional. Managers should be more focused on execution planning, as it is

the main reason for the planning exercise in the first place.

The authors identify five normative phases to the planning process. They include

planning the planning process, gathering of information, preparing plans, diffusing information,

and evaluating the planning process. Knowledge of techniques to use, goals, and resources

required are important in the planning process. Execution control is important in evaluating the

process until its completion. In current practice, most people tend to ignore the first planning

phase and the final evaluation phase of the process. They tend to focus more on preparing the

plans. The professionals involved in the planning process, such as researchers, developers, and

planners, need to change their attitude concerning the process. They can acquire skills that will

lead to management of better planning process.

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The authors conclude by noting that planning problems mainly occur because of the inadequate

qualifications, lack of orientation, and lack of motivation from the different parties involved in

the process. They recommend changing the methods used in the planning process, modifying

current practices, and adjusting present assumptions. They observe that there is hope for future

improvement in the planning process by using computer-generated technologies

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Work Cited:

Lauffer A. and R. L. Tucker. Is Construction Project Planning Really Doing Its Job? A Critical

Examination of Focus, Role, and Process. Construction Management and Economics 5

(1987): 243-266