Tutorial/Homework Assignment 1

(Due: Week 3)

In this tutorial, you are asked to get you familiarized with the Construction Extensions
to Project Management Body of Knowledge –an important standard for construction
project management.

Please read Chapter One and Chapter Three of the uploaded book Construction
Extensions to Project Management Body of Knowledge.

You are also welcome to browse other chapters. After reading the chapters, please
complete the following tasks:

Using your own language, explain the purposes and methods of the different
“knowledge areas”. You may write one paragraph for each knowledge area.

Ans:

Purpose of understanding different knowledge areas aims to achieve roles of project

manager, including leading, communication, negotiating and problem-solving. By
equipping varies knowledge, it helps us to have boarder view over the whole projects
and take charge the construction project process smoothly.

Project Integration Skills

As the PMBOK mentioned, project Integration Skills is the core of construction
management, avoiding discrepancies between the various technical and support
activities. In my point of views, this skill should be applied in early stage of every
subdivided project under a big scope. See any construction as an example. There are
different firms contributing the projects, from consultant, contractor to the clients.
Their jobs may vary a bit, but they should share a common goal which is fulfilling the
projects scope. For planning team, they should analyze the needs from clients or
potential users in future, passing initial idea to the design team. Designers make
drafting and let consulting firm engineers to review and check whether it was an
achievable project and fulfilling the project purpose, etc. For every stage of projects,
they should have common target and a good project manager must monitor every
participant and group everyone’s contribution together. So that, even the jobs are
done separately, while it was still perfect align in future.

Project Scope Management

This field of knowledge should be applied also in early stage of any construction
projects as it has the highest influence to the cost. In my understanding, a good project
manager must review and manage documents, eg Utilities records of the construction
area, existing building or any other factors effecting the construction site. It can even
be some incident reports in the past, eg landslide, or flooding case. By detail analyzing
those documents, we can prepare as much as we can to cope with any sudden change
of the projects. Even if the projects are out of expected, we can still provide a plan B
solution which was developed in early stage of the process. So that, scope of the
projects won’t be easily and reducing the chance for us expanding the construction
cost.

Project Schedule Management

Time is highly related to the cost. The longer in construction time, the higher in
construction cost. As a result, a good project manager should set up a detail planner
for completion of different part of the projects. In my understanding, project
scheduling can be divided into two sessions: Monitoring and controlling. By controlling,
make sure every worker or contractor following the time schedule, make sure they
know the exact deadline of any process. In views of monitoring, there may have cases
like workers rushing the deadline while dismissing the quality of the construction. We
also must monitor the overall quality so that the buildings can be used within Building
Department’s definition of a building, which a construction should be able to use for
more than 50 years.

Project Cost Management

Cost is one of the key factors indicating whether a project can be succeeded or not, so
as the profitability of a project. All projects initiate with market demand and business
consideration. If the estimated cost much higher than the chance to get profits, then
the projects cannot be continued or supported by clients as it will cause loss to them.

Project Quality Management

Project quality management should be included in every stage of projects. Mainly it
includes Planning, executing and monitoring and controlling process group. In early
stage of the projects, the planning process group should take responsibility to review
all documents provided by clients or any standards from government, so that engineer
teams can ensure design of following works are fulfilling the limitations. On the other
hands, the executing team should also provide quality management. Even though
some projects may finished building, we still have to ensure its quality which is safe to
use, so we need to have a strict quality management. The last one should be the
monitoring and controlling process. This process aims to prevent incident like rework
on part of the projects in which is very costly.

Project Resources Management

Projects resources can not only be resources like, concrete, steel in construction, it can
also be human resources. Projects resources management includes estimation and
possible way for future demobilization. In early stage, we should have a initial
estimation on how much resources we need to prevent resources waste. At the same
time, we should also have a clear plan on waste treatment. For example, is it possible
for some resources to be recycled? This process is also important to the whole projects,
as it is also highly connected to the cost of projects.

Project Communications Management

Environment within the construction site is very complex as it contains teams from
different area, from consultant, contractor to any construction types of workers. As a
good project manager, it is important to provide efficient communication channel to
everyone to ensure the goal of everyone align the same.

Project Risks Management

Projects risks management includes precautions during planning, execution, and final
projects. In early planning, manager should include clear safety statement to everyone
so that everyone can clear understanding on what they should do to ensure self-safe
or others. On the other hands, some insurance can safeguard workers if any accidents
occur.

Project Procurement Management

Construction process is highly related to the procurement management. As every
resource used are based on contractual arrangement between buyers and seller. As a
good project manager, we need to have good management on this, so that, we can
have clear understanding on responsibility

Project Stakeholder Management

Projects stakeholder management is important to entire projects, as there are so many
participants included inside the projects. So that, we should clarify, have clear
understanding on the responsibility of every stakeholder or even knowing the
influence of each stakeholders.

Project Health, Safety, Security and Environmental Management

This management includes all round review regarding to employee health, wellness
and safety. It can be setting clear safety documentations or some safety analysis by the
controlling process teams.

Project Financial Management

To achieve a good project financial management, we should always have a good record
and summarize of the financial records. By keep tracking the financial status, we can
ensure the projects are within the budget and are aligned with the financial case
forecast.