Subject : Principle of Construction Management

Course Specialist : Guillermo O. Bernabe

Submitted by : Juana L. Abetria
Deadline of Submission : February 21,2019
Assignment No : 02

1. What is a construction project manager? Define the role of the

construction project manager in the project types and each of the five
stages of the construction project life cycle.

Construction managers, also known as construction project managers,

oversee and allocate resources for various construction projects.
Construction project manager duties are what guide a project to
success. Projects can vary from residential, commercial, and industrial
buildings to bridges and skyscrapers. Construction project managers are
a part of the building process from the very beginning, working closely
with engineers and architects to develop plans, establish timetables,
and determine labor and material costs. They also hire and manage
subcontractors and employees, gather permits, and make sure
everything is up to code. The main construction project manager duties
are planning, disbursing resources, managing staff, creating
benchmarks, managing the budget, and communicating with staff.

 Initiation

This is the start of the project, and the goal of this phase is to define the
project at a broad level. This phase usually begins with a business case.
This is when you will research whether the project is feasible and if it
should be undertaken. If feasibility testing needs to be done, this is the
stage of the project in which that will be completed.

Important stakeholders will do their due diligence to help decide if the

project is a “go.” If it is given the green light, you will need to create a
project charter or a project initiation document (PID) that outlines the
purpose and requirements of the project. It should include business
needs, stakeholders, and the business case.
 Planning

Planning a construction project plays a big part in construction

project manager duties. This phase most likely is goal driven.
Without a concrete plan of action that details what needs to be
done in each stage of the construction process, workers will be
lost and more time will be spent figuring out what needs to be
done. In any job, having a plan to follow makes everything easier
and reduces the amount of time wasted. The better a
construction manager is at planning what needs to be taken care
of, the smoother a construction project will go

The construction manager needs to ensure that all of the work is

done on time and within the projected budget. You will also need
to be sure that the construction project complies with all current
building codes as well as any other legal or regulatory
requirements. A construction project manager has to plan out
every stage of the project. This is necessary for completing a
project successfully. Without this step, there is no direction for a
construction project. It would be very hard to start a construction
project when there is no plan of action.

 Execution- below are the ff. things that should be consider during
execution phase:

Distributing Resources
Every construction project needs materials. Without materials,
there can be no progress in a project. One of the construction
project manager duties is to allocate resources and make sure
that there are no shortages. A construction project manager must
understand what materials are needed and has to make sure that
there are enough to finish the job.

A construction project manager that doesn’t understand the

resources that are needed to finish a project will delay a project.
Delays are sometimes unavoidable, but if the delay is due to a
construction project managers poor decision making it can hurt
the budget and waste workers times. Being able to distribute
resources will avoid such problems and make sure that the project
is moving forward. Moving forward without coming across any
 problems would be a dream come true for any construction
project manager.

Managing the Budget and Schedule

You cannot start a construction project without a proper budget.
One of your construction project manager duties is to manage
the budget and financial plan for a project. To avoid going over
your project budget, you have to continuously keep track of
spending and forecast changes to the budget. You must inform
your team about forecasts, keeping tabs on the budget, and
being prepared for unplanned costs is the duty of a construction
project manager. The more prepared you are, the fewer
problems you have to worry about. The better you are at
expecting the unexpected, the more smoothly your construction
project will go.

Communication
Communication is a crucial part of any job. As a manager, you
can’t expect your workers to know what you want to be done
without clear and concise communication. There are many
construction project manager duties, but all those duties start with
talking. As a project manager, you need to inform your staff of the
project details and how you want to move forward with the
project.

There needs to be communication between all workers for you to

finish a project on time. Communication between workers is
necessary, but communication between stakeholders is crucial as
well. Construction project manager duties also involve
communicating properly with any stakeholders about the
progress of the project. Project managers and others must inform
stakeholders about the progress of the project. A lack of
communication with them can lead to some unnecessary
problems.

 Performance Monitoring

Most construction organizations look only at the time and cost

parameters. If a schedule slippage or cost overrun occurs, then
project managers will identify the cause of the variance. Looking
only at time and cost performance might identify immediate
contributions to profit, but will not tell whether or not the project
itself was managed properly. Construction project success is often
 measured by the evaluation of three parties: the project team,
the construction organization, and the client's organization. The
assumption here is that a construction project cannot be
considered successful unless it is recognized so by the three
groups. This study presents a hierarchy of construction
performance objectives that takes into account all success
factors as viewed by the major players. The proposed goal
hierarchy is systematic, and flexible enough to handle specific
project requirements. The reader should realize that although
project procedures can vary from project to project, project
policies are usually similar in nature and do not differ between
projects. Shown below is an hierarchy chart of those process that
the project manager or the whole project team may take into
consideration in defining its performance index criteria using
difference tracking sheets in excel or other system in tack in the
company.

 Closure

This phase represents the completed project. Contractors hired to

work specifically on the project are terminated at this time.
Valuable team members are recognized. Some PMs even
organize small work events for people who participated in the
project to thank them for their efforts. Once a project is complete,
a PM will often hold a meeting – sometimes referred to as a “post
mortem” – to evaluate what went well in a project and identify
project failures. This is especially helpful to understand lessons
learned so that improvements can be made for future projects.

Once the project is complete, PMs still have a few tasks to

complete. They will need to create a project punch list of things
that didn’t get accomplished during the project and work with
team members to complete them. Perform a final project budget
and prepare a final project report. Finally, they will need to collect
all project documents and deliverables and store them in a single
place.
 These construction project manager duties are the key to success in a
construction project. A construction project manager is much like the
conductor of an orchestra. They give instructions and direct fellow workers
so that they can work together to create a great final product. The
manager is the leader of the project, but by no means is it a job that can
be done alone. Through proper teamwork, communication, budget
management, resource management, and planning a project can turn
out more than successful. It takes a great team mentality in the
construction business to make something great, but it also takes a great
manager to direct everyone towards a successful project.

Project Manager role in Construction Type

While there are several types of construction projects, most of them fall into
one of two categories:

a. Building construction
b. Industrial construction

a) Building construction projects account for the vast majority of the

construction industry. They are the most common type of construction.
While most of these are smaller projects like additions and renovations, they
also include larger ones such as the construction of a skyscraper. The first
type of building construction is commercial construction, which includes

 Skyscrapers
 Banks
 Gas stations
 Hotels
 Restaurants
 Supermarkets
Obviously, these are generally more expensive and time consuming than
residential construction. Commercial construction is rarely done without
hiring a construction company, as it often requires not just working with, but
simply having access to have, dangerous machinery.

Residential construction is the other type of construction and includes

  Apartments
 Condos
 Townhomes
 Dormitories
 Nursing homes
Any other establishment built for residents

Resident units typically require more regulations and codes than

commercial construction, as they will be used in a much different manner.
Because these are smaller projects and budgets, construction companies
often do not have the same type of resources for residential projects.These
projects are often dictated by the types of building material available in
the area, which is why wood is by far the most popular. Depending on the
scope of the project, many residents choose to undertake the construction
process on their own. This can save a ton of money, but can be quite time-
consuming and even dangerous. A consultant for construction projects
can help guide DIY builders get the job done properly and safely.

b) Industrial construction is much less frequent, yet still very important to the
industry. These types of projects often include

 Factories
 Power plants
 Mills
 Refineries
These types of construction are usually undertaken by larger construction
companies on behalf of larger corporations. The main reason that these
types of construction projects are handled by large companies is because
they often require a wide array of expert construction knowledge. While
safety is always a concern during any construction project, it’s especially
important during an industrial project as any flaw in the design can create
a dangerous situation down the road. For this reason, industrial
construction generally requires more planning as well as teamwork
coordination. There will often be dozens of laborers working on these
projects, requiring effective communication and collaboration
throughout.

Why does knowing the type of construction matter? Simply because the
project manager assigned should have the right skills, technical and
technical to the project that will be assigned to her/him. And also, the
project manager should note that the differences are very important
because the laws governing a construction project are significantly
different depending on the type of construction project, noted, that
mostly, industrial project are government project and building construction
are private client.

2. What are some of the issues and concerns presently affecting the
following:

a) Construction project managers

 Undefined Goals
To prevent undefined goals, the project manager must be
careful to ask the right questions in order to establish and
communication clear goals from the start.
 Scope Changes
Also known as “scope creep,” this describes the extension of
the scope beyond the original objectives. Since the changes
are not planned, they typically cause delays and cost money
that isn’t in the budget. It is up to the PM to evaluate change
requests and decide whether or how to implement them. The
PM then communicates to all stakeholders the impact the
change will have on the schedule and/or budget.
Inadequately Skilled Personnel
The PM determines the needed competencies and assesses
the available employees. If needed, training can be
recommended, as can outsourcing the job and hiring
additional workers.
 Lack of Accountability
If the team members aren’t taking responsibility for their goals
and activities, the PM should provide the leadership to direct
(or herd) the team towards the goal laid out in the plan.
Improper Risk Management
Risk tolerance is part of the make-up of a PM. To avoid risk
management shortcomings, the PM learns to gather input,
develop trust between team members and have a good idea
which parts of the project are likely to veer off course.
Ambiguous Contingency Plans
Part of the PM’s planning includes what to do for a variety of
scenarios when things aren’t going to plan. These
contingencies should be identified ahead of time. A good PM
learns to ask others to help identify potential problems.
 Poor Communications
Poor communication is a morale killer and a project delay
mechanism of the first order. It is up to the PM to keep
communications and feedback open between upper
management and team leaders, as well as other stakeholders.
 Impossible Deadlines
Another morale killer, impossible deadlines can result in a loss
of productivity. The project manager is there to respond
unreasonable requests and negotiate a more realistic
deadline.
 Resource Deprivation
If resource needs are adequately defined by the PM and
approved by management from the beginning, this should not
be an issue. The PM is responsible for assigning and prioritizing
resources for the duration of the project.
 Lack of Stakeholder Engagement
The project manager must strive to keep communications
open and encourage feedback from everyone at every step
of the project.
Project managers have other ways to handle the challenges
listed above, depending on the nature of the issue and its
impact on the project. If the PM cannot come to an
agreement with both parties involved, it may be time to try
mediation, a mini-trial, or arbitration.
These actions cost time and money. It would behoove
management to provide appropriate and adequate
resources to avoid these types of problems.

b) Contractors

 Unpaid work
Of course, finances are one of the major issues that keep
construction executives up at night. With a responsibility to
ensure the livelihood of their employees and their families, it is
important to have positive cash flow for the company.
Unfortunately, subcontractors are not receiving payment for
their completed work in numerous instances. Subcontractors
have filed claims against their general contractors and owners
in several major projects.

 Varied technology among General Contractors

For every general contractor that incorporates new
technology, they provide access to their subcontractors to use
the same technology for collaboration. However,
subcontractors work with multiple general contractors who
may all different software. Subcontractors can become
overwhelmed learning multiple solutions to meet requirements
of their general contractors.
 This arrangement benefits the General Contractor and not the
subcontractors. When subcontractors use their general
contractor’s project management solutions, this can put them
at a disadvantage. The GC owns the system and its
documentation. In the event of a claim or dispute, the General
Contractor can and will likely revoke access to the
subcontractor and edit any information as they deem fit. While
it may create additional work for your team, subcontractors
must maintain their own document management system to
protect themselves in a dispute.

 Unfavorable contract terms

Construction projects inherently assume a lot of financial risk.
Disjointed interests shift a large amount of risk on
subcontractor. In increasing numbers, subcontractors are
receiving contracts with unfavorable terms such as liquidated
damages, consequential impacts, warranty coverage, etc.
Many subcontractors experience delays that may be due to
no fault of their own or unforeseen circumstances.
Documentation tracking lost hours, schedule changes, any
delays or disruptions is the key to protection against liquidated
damages.

 Safety
Construction work is inherently dangerous which makes
insurance and workers compensation costly expenditure

Unsafe practices jeopardize the safety of employees and carry

severe penalties. Contractors can mitigate risk and ensure their
teams follow required safety procedures.

 Project delays
Unforeseen jobsite conditions. Changing scope. Design
rework. All of this leads to project delays with only 25% of
projects coming within 10% of original deadlines.
Subcontractors attribute delays and change orders to design-
induced rework and changes in scope. Companies submit
project proposals based on the availability of resources.
Therefore, delayed projects will cause a kink in the entire
scheduling and resource management of a construction
company.
c) Engineering and design professionals

 Ethical issues
 Need of improving structure physically that will need
unconventional designs
 New software and technologies used for design plan that are
costly

d) Construction workers
 Unconventional methodology
 underpaid salary
e) Construction materials and manufacturers
 Keeping Up with Changes in Sales and Distribution
Number of companies who are having a hard time
keeping up with all the changes in the way building
materials are sold. There’s a shift to online sales, off-site
or factory construction and new channels in continuing
to expand the types of products they sell. There are also
changes in the marketplace clients are more involved in
product selection and general contractors are
expanding their roles beyond project management and
into materials selection and installation.
 Transitioning to Digital Marketing
Every single company nowadays has a website, of
course, but they know they’ll fall behind without getting
better results from their website, improving their social
media presence or using CRM or marketing automation.
 Limited Right Resources

f) Equipment suppliers and lessors

 Equipment suppliers need to continue to invest heavily in
technology development and commercialization.
 The government must promote the supply of highly skilled people,
particularly researchers. He called education “an absolute
imperative.”.
 Sometimes, leasing is not an option of a construction company
when it comes to their project with long duration or they always
anticipate delays.

g) Engineering and construction educators

 Less experience in onsite works
 Students nowadays are less conventional, mostly relying on the
internet, but surprisingly even all data are available online, they
 are most likely to be spoon-fed maybe because of the easy
access, eagerness to learn is not that high.
3. What are some of the challenges faced by the following in this new
century?
a) Construction project managers
 Undefined Goals
 Scope Changes
 Inadequately Skilled Personnel
 Lack of Accountability
 Improper Risk Management
 Ambiguous Contingency Plans
 Poor Communications
 Impossible Deadlines
 Resource Deprivation
 Lack of Stakeholder Engagement
b) Contractors
 Undefined Goals
 Scope Changes
 Inadequately Skilled Personnel
 Lack of Accountability
 Improper Risk Management
 Ambiguous Contingency Plans
 Poor Communications
 Impossible Deadlines
 Resource Deprivation
 Lack of Stakeholder Engagement
 Unpaid work
 Retirement of aging boomers
 Varied technology among General Contractors
 Unfavorable contract terms
 Safety
 Project delays
c) Engineering and design professionals
 Ethical issue
 needs of improving structure physically that will need
unconventional designs

d) Construction workers
 Unconventional methodology
 underpaid salary
e) Construction materials and manufacturers
 Finding and Training New Employees
 Keeping Up with Changes in Sales and Distribution
 Transitioning to Digital Marketing
f) Equipment suppliers and lessors
 Adaptability in technology development and commercialization.
 Low number of professional to engage in modernization of
equipment
 Sometimes, leasing is not an option of a construction company
when it comes to their project with long duration or they always
anticipate delays.

g) Engineering and construction educators

 Lack of practical/actual trainings

 Sufficient education materials and facilities
 Student’s lack of enthusiasm