Project Mangement

Scientific Endeavours (EF 1120) as standard practice carries out a thorough review of the technical documentations for the project regarding Safety / Fitness for purpose, the underlying assumptions / constraints, Completeness as well as consistence with available technology. The results of that review in negotiations with their originator(s) are fed into the final form of the technical documentations. The Scope management process (in full cognizance of those comments of the technical review exercise), is used to reconcile the Cost estimate as developed in the bills of quantities (where one already exists): otherwise a completely new bill of quantities is developed from scratch using comments/ recommendations of the technical review report.

That way the gaps that could have manifested in the technical and financial plans are closed (or at least greatly minimized); and indeed is the minimum initial “intervention” to qualify the baseline information whence other project plans are developed.

The Change management Criteria is also established here; thereby setting the framework for decision-making in balancing the project objectives as the product evolves.

Subsequently a detailed resource-driven Schedule plan is developed using the contractor’s method statement, thereby providing a strategy that enables managing across the true critical path. Other plans such as Cash flows (derived from inputting the project costs into the schedule plan), Quality control plan, Communications plan and Procurement  plans etc follow suit (See summary of Project Management Process groups Deliverables).

Scientific Endeavours’ project leadership derives from nearly fifteen years of consistent and proven project management service delivery, coupled with over twenty five (25) years of consistent engineering practice. Our Principals & Associates are people with a high numeracy / computational background along with other connected skills. Thus resulting in no than 60% of our commissioned projects (averaged over the years 2004 to 2014) being delivered below budget, and 83.5% of projects managed from 2009 to 2012 delivered within budget.

We recognize a diversity of needs as much as there are diverse challenges in project delivery; therefore we created Customized solutions / Entry points (by no means an exhaustive list) for the generic / typical challenges encountered. However we still want to hear from you regarding that peculiar project delivery challenge

Figure 1 gives a broad outline of the process groups’ interaction from Initiation through Planning to Execution through Monitoring / Controlling and finally to Closing for application to a typical project

PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESS GROUPS INTERACTION

DELIVERABLES ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESS GROUPS

This section outlines three Customized solutions or Entry levels for the project management services depending on client preference or status of project;

I) Bottom-up Roles (When PM is Involved from the very start)

This is the quintessential involvement of the project manager on a typical project, with functions summarized in the process groups’ interaction chart.

Beginning from the onset or Initiation processes (not the traditional “plug-in” at the conclusion of contract award, where he is “only required to draw up a work program and report on progress” for the project, and Risks that have not been properly articulated), through Planning processes, to Execution processes, to Monitoring / controlling processes, to Closing out processes.

His specific duties within each process groups are expounded as follows;

Initiation Processes

Here the project manager is responsible for providing & documenting the High-level description of the project using the Project scope statement or Statement of Work (SOW).  He also carefully considers the general strategy and technology for the evolution of the project at this stage and ensures that it is aligned with the strategic plan.

Next defines the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Establishes responsibilities using the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), and defines the Change Management Criteria in tune with the client’s requirements.

Finally, he carries out some form of risk identification and assessment whose impact will be reflected in the technical documentations for the project.

Planning Processes

Here the Project Manager defines all activities and resources and establishes schedules and other plans such as:

• Phasing of activities (depending on size of project),
• Establish all tasks that need to be carried out up to award of contract,
• Resolve the interaction between these tasks on the timeline,
• Assign Resources to execute these pre-contract tasks,
• Develop the Schedule & drive these tasks to completion within the allocated time for this phase,
• Execute a technical risk management of deliverables for this pre-contract stage & reflect amendments to all affected technical documentations,
• Develop the Procurement plan,
• Develop the Cost plan (Bills of Quantities & Budgeting),
• Develop the detailed resource-driven Schedule plan for the post-contract phase,
• Develop & generate the Cash flow for the post-contract phase.

Execution / Monitoring  & Controlling Processes

The Project Manager executes the project management plan by;

• Directing and managing the project execution,
• Performing quality assurance,
• Information distribution,
• Configuration management.

He also monitors/controls the project activities by;

• Gathering information on project activities; start time, completion status for a given duration & resources used to accomplish it,
• Gathering information on Scope changes and specification changes not resulting from project performance,
• Measuring overall project performance using Earned values techniques; comparing actual experience against baseline plan (Schedule & Cost),
• Controlling changes and recommending preventive actions,
• Influencing change-causing factors,
• Communicating entire project experience through progress and status reports on agreed time slices,
• Periodic Financial Statements on agreed time slice,
• Revised planning and updating & feedback between phases.

Closing Processes

• Detailed technical documentation,
• Completion reports,
• Product acceptance by client,
• Final Accounts.

II) Intervention/ Recovery Plan For Distressed or Ongoing Projects;

This scenario involves the project managers “jumping into” an ongoing or distressed project.

Quick Initiation Strategy

Given the “emergency” of these situations, planning efforts will involve a backward integration of project definition. The project scope definition (or SOW) is first documented from the assumptions & content of the existing contract documents.

This is achieved by gathering information on the status of activities carried out thus far, a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that outlines outstanding activities to completion can then be developed.

A quick review of general strategy and technology is required at this stage to ensure alignment with strategic plans. Establishing the RAM and defining the Change Management Criteria complete the Initiation process.

Planning Processes

Now that the WBS (for outstanding activities to completion) has been established,

Risk assessment of all technical documentations must be carried out, and the implications integrated into these documents and circulated to all stakeholders.

Subsequently, the following activities must be executed;

• Phasing of activities to completion,
• The cost to completion,
• The schedule plan to completion,
• Cash flow regime to completion.

Management of Construction

Activities here proceed as in the execution processes of scenario I. The Project Manager directing/ managing construction activities, gathering information on project activities, and measuring overall project performance using Earned values techniques, by imputing actual experience against baseline plan.

Other functions include;

• Controlling changes & recommending preventive actions,
• Influencing change-causing factors,
• Communicating entire project experience through progress and status reports on agreed time slices,
• Revised planning and updating & feedback between phases.

Closing Processes

• Detailed technical documentation,
• Completion reports.

III)  Professional Advice & Support (to existing Project teams), in;

• Planning & Scheduling of Building / Civil Engineering projects

  (Regardless of size & complexity) featuring;
  Detailed resource – driven schedule plans,
  Materials Scheduling,
  Cash flows (variable time slicing),
  Pert Chart, Gantt Chart, Calendar view presentations (A3 – A0 formats).

• Project Management facilitation for projects featuring;

  Updates to Schedule plans (progress, resource usage etc.),
  Status reporting (% completions, time loss, earliest completion dates, earned values etc.),
  Re-planning consequent upon changes to method statements / activity logic,
  Expenditure / Cost updates on periodic basis.

• Intervention / Recovery Plan for distressed projects (Schedule, Costs & Quality plans),

• Cost Advice / Budget reviews on projects,

• Enterprise-wide project management implementation,

• Selection / Evaluation of Project management software

• Stringent Risk Management especially from design reviews of technical documentations, for correctness and consistency of underlying assumptions, has resulting in much fewer divergences in technical performance,

• Comprehensive scope planning ensures that work content meets the customer expectation by recognizing his constraints and appraising his assumptions, while capturing the risks that can influence the project objectives,

• Value engineering input presents opportunity for improved performance of project cost objectives,

• Demonstrated superior project integration management practice that joggles the variables (strategic direction, constraints, risks, resource requirements & change management), to ensure that project objectives are restored to their initial values. Or at least as closely as possible,

• Demonstrated project leadership acquired in over 15 years of consistent project management delivery, and over 25 years of sound engineering practice,

• Detailed schedule planning that captures all project tasks from initiation to close out (regardless of project size & complexity), and integrating resources, costs and agreed productivity. Thus providing the critical step in monitoring / controlling of schedule, while knowing precise status at any point in time at the click of the mouse,

• Superior project reporting that keeps management informed with extensive metrics; Earned values, Costs, Progress & performance status, with a clear recovery plan where deviations occur. Trends and look-ahead are also featured,

• 60% success ratio in bringing projects to completion within budget,

• Strength of Character through impartiality, Truthfulness, Integrity & Service.