Quantity Surveying and Construction Management

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Browsing Quantity Surveying and Construction Management by Author "Burger, Michelle"

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    The construction project manager in South Africa: analysis of industry-specific knowledge
    (University of the Free State, 2015) Burger, Michelle; Venter, Basie; Zulch, Benita
    English: Construction project managers in the built environment come from various backgrounds and knowledge bases; therefore, the project managers’ project management set may differ. The type of knowledge required to improve CPD training of project managers thus needs to be determined. This would raise the knowledge levels needed for built environment project managers. The aim of this article is to determine the knowledge needed for the successful management of projects within the built environment. Industry-specific guidelines for construction project management (PMBOK and SACPCMP) were obtained and analysed. Expert interviews were conducted with experienced specialists (n=10) who held a senior managerial position within project management in the built environment. A case study and email questionnaires (n=40) were also analysed to determine the type of knowledge required. Data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel 2003®. Three areas of knowledge were identified, namely project management knowledge, industry-specific knowledge and knowledge through experience. Of these, industry-specific knowledge was considered the most important, although all three were very important. Project management knowledge areas essential to project managers included the nine PMBOK knowledge areas from the PMI PMBOK guide, 4th edition 2008, four additional PMI Construction extension to the PMBOK areas, experience as well as built environment-specific knowledge. This study was limited to the nine knowledge areas and did not include stakeholder management as the tenth area. The results from all three test methods (interviews, questionnaires and a case study) indicated that knowledge was essential for effective leadership, trust and communication within a project. Without knowledge, these organisational factors were compromised and project success could be negatively affected. It is concluded that the knowledge needed for the management of projects within the built environment had to include industry-specific knowledge pertinent to the built environment. The knowledge required does not currently appear in a single document, and it is recommended that a new document or set of required skills be established.
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    Project management in the built environment: the need for industry specific knowledge
    (University of the Free State, 2014-07-23) Burger, Michelle; Verster, J. J. P.
    English: The use of project management has expanded and is used in many industries. The generic component of project management across all industries without the necessary technical knowledge has been debated. This study investigates the knowledge base of construction project management and the need for industry specific knowledge. The study includes a literature and also empirical research section. The empirical study made use of interviews, a case study and questionnaires. A construction project management knowledge model was developed based on the research and research findings. The research findings suggest that a project manager in the built environment requires various types of knowledge – project management knowledge, industry specific knowledge and knowledge gained through experience. The project management knowledge includes the 13 areas from the construction extension to the PMBOK guide, the industry specific knowledge is divided into four main areas that are knowledge of construction science, knowledge of construction processes, knowledge of design processes and knowledge of financial cost factors and the knowledge through experience is gained through time spent working in the industry. The construction project management knowledge model aims to contribute to improving the project management environment, aiding in awareness of the various knowledge areas and subareas that are important and the NQF level that is suggested. This could contribute to sufficient education by creating awareness of the level of education a project manager in the built environment requires. Organisations could use the model as reference to determine which areas their project managers could improve on in order to develop and increase project management maturity in the organisation. The project management construction model also offers tertiary institutions a framework for syllabus planning of constructions project management courses. Further research is welcomed and may include improving the model, or using the model as foundation to develop a measuring instrument to determine the knowledge of a construction project manager.