Management of a Project with a focus on the Quality and Human Resource

1.0 Introduction

1.1Project OverviewGIBB (Mauritius) Ltd was awarded the design, supervision and project management contract of a school for physically disabled children in Morcellement Pinewood Garden located at Wooton. The new school will be a single-unit building spanning over 9145m2 of land. The building itself has an area of around 2000m2 and shall be used to provide primary co-education to children below 12 years old born with disabilities. In addition the school shall have the capacity of housing over 100 students.The design started in January 2014 while the construction started in March 2014 and is set to complete by December 2015. Following the tendering process the contract for construction was awarded to Pad & Co Ltd.The Architectural design of the school has been done by Dan Mootoosamy and Architects. The building layout has been designed such as to maximize the use of sunlight and thereby reduce the consumption of electricity by creating 4 rectangular wings each joined together in the form of a cross. A large spacious hall lies at the center of the building.The school is equipped with various facilities specific to the disabled such therapy rooms, kitchen, cafeteria, staff room, changing rooms, classrooms and toilets for disabled children.

1.2Project GoalIn an effort to provide quality education to physically disabled children requiring specialized aids and facilities the Curatus Trust Company (Mauritius) Ltd has endeavored to commission the building of specialized school at Morcellement Pinewood Garden.The initiative forms part of the companys Corporate Social Responsibility as a contribution to the betterment of the condition of physically disabled children by helping them build their future through a combination of specialized education in appropriate areas and therapy.

1.3The ClientCuratus Trust Company (Mauritius) Limited is a privately owned management company, registered in Mauritius, specializing in the management and administration of international client interests. It provides services for structuring of international business, ensuring compliance with legal & regulatory requirements, organisation and coordination of meetings and assistance in banking needs.http://www.curatustrust.com/1/#/Curatus Trust Company/0

1.4The Engineering ConsultantGIBB (Mauritius) Ltd is an engineering consultancy firm in the construction industry that provides specialist services in various fields of construction engineering including design, project management and supervision of the construction works from initial planning to final approval as a means to administer the contract as described in the Contract Documents. GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd possesses a Quality Management System compliant with ISO 9001:2008 and applicable to Consulting, Design and Management Services and site based projects.The mission of GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd is to: Build and maintain a team of dedicated and motivated professionals Deliver innovative engineering services and sustainable solutions Adhere to the highest standard of values Exceed Clients expectationsThe vision of GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd is to be the benchmark for engineering excellence.The values upheld by the company are: To maintain professional integrity To provide quality and cost effective services To ensure client satisfaction To maintain financial stability To invest in staff and provide equal opportunity To promote teamwork To provide State of the Art technology To encourage Innovation To be proactivehttp://gibbmauritius.com/

1.5The ContractorPad & Co Ltd is a dynamic A-grade integrated construction services company, with the capability of undertaking a diverse range of projects. Pad & Co Ltdhas made substantial contributions in the social and economic development of Mauritius through the construction of commercial and office buildings, High rise buildings, luxury hotels and villas, civil works including roads, bridges, sewage treatment plants, and marine works, power stations and networks, and structural steel works.http://padconstruction.com/aboutus/companyprofile.php

2.0Project ManagementManagement of a project is the overall planning, coordination and control of a project from beginning to completion. The aim is to meet the Clients requirement in order to deliver a functional and cost-effective project. The prevailing model of management in this case is the design-bid-build model implying that the engineering consultant is responsible for the design and supervision of the construction works. For this project the engineering consultant has also been awarded the contract for project management.

2.1Responsibilities of ClientThe Client also known as the Employer has responsibilities towards all stakeholders at each and every stage of the project. A Client's role during project development and implementation is crucial to the success of the project. The Client is responsible for providing the project requirement, preparation of a business case and development of a strategic brief to appoint consultants. As shown in the graph below the Client has a responsibility to define his requirements to increase value at the preparation stage where opportunities for change are high while costs of changes to the design are low.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/buildings/client-roleDuring construction phase the Client is responsible for provision of access to site to all parties involved in the construction works.When the contract is ready for signing, the Employer for the contract is responsible for payments to the contractor and other professionals and may also take handover of the building when complete. It is in the best interest of the client to make provisions for safety on site to prevent delays or litigation due to injury or death of workers.

2.2Responsibilities of the ContractorThere are many duties which a building contractor must complete on a daily basis in order to ensure that the construction project is completed in a timely and correct manner. The first duty of the building contractor is to implement a plan in which to carry out the construction project. In addition to implementing the construction plan, the building contractor is responsible for hiring, supervising employees.The building contractor is also responsible for obtaining materials for the project. This involves various forms of correspondence with necessary material suppliers. The contractor is also responsible for quality control. He is required to do tests on materials and provide the test results for assessment by the Consultant and provide compliance certificates where applicableThroughout the construction process, the building contractor is also responsible for reviewing the progress and implementing any changes along the way. The building contractor needs to follow the specific building project closely and make changes when he deems it necessary to do so.

Lastly, the building contractor is the individual who deals with all emergencies which relate to the project and occur on-site. The contractor is also responsible for health and safety on site by providing workers with secure working conditions and appropriate equipment to ensure safety.

2.3Responsibilities of the Engineering ConsultantThe responsibilities of the Consultant include management of the project at the design phase including site surveys, preparation of reports, design of structures, preparation of specifications and contract documents.At the construction stage or contract administration phase the consultant has a duty to ensure that the contractor abides by the terms of its construction contract and that the contractor follows the plans and specifications in constructing the project. The means by which a consultant ensures that a contract is being adhered to is through on site field reviews or site inspections. Although the consultant is not required to be present on site at every moment of construction his presence is required at every crucial stage of the construction and requests for inspection of works is solicited by the contractor. In this way the Consultant provides Quality Assurance.In this project the engineering consultant is also the project manager, so regular site meetings are conducted and chaired by the consultant to assess the progress of works on site and make constructive comments regarding delays, revised program of works, extensions of time and any issue pertaining to site works. The project manager is also responsible to advise, coordinate, manage and administrate the project activities. The Consultant has a duty of care regarding safety on site and is required to point out safety issues to be addressed by the Contractor.

2.4Project Management ProcessThe basic project management process shown below is generally used to manage all projects at GIBB (Mauritius) Ltd and the same sequence has been used in this case.

DEFINITION

Define Project ScopeDefine Project ObjectivesConstruct an Initial PlanAssemble Team

Adjust the plan & manage Project changeAdd resources, costs, risksAnalyze current Status

Convince stakeholder to buy-inPublish the planConsult progress informationClose Project

EXECUTION / Demings CyclePLANNING2.5Project Definition and PlanningFollowing the preparation of the proposal by the Consultants proposal manager and approval of same by the Client, signing of the contract agreement signals the commencement of the services. At the Feasibility and Design stage the proposal manager is then required to conduct a start-up meeting which is regarded as an internal procedure necessary for quality management. The start-up meeting is conducted in the presence of with the Director of Operations, the Proposal manager and the Project Manager ear-marked on the project in order to: Give a brief of the project requirements Transfer documentation (the proposal) to Project Manager Discuss the Terms of References and scope of agreed services Discuss technical and financial risks and the mitigating measures Discuss the planning of resources with respect to time, cost and quality

In order to enable planning of resources with respect to time, cost and quality, the following has to be carried out: Inform Project Manager of budget allocated to the project Brief Project Manager on invoicing and payment conditions Agree on staff selection and deployment Agree on a Programme of Work / Schedule of activities Establish milestones (Include all deliverables) Determine the frequency of submission of status report

The chart next page best represents the management process involved during the start of a project. The technical committee comprises of experts who lead each technical discipline in construction. Reviewers are assigned by the Director of Operations from the Technical Committee. Each task leader is assigned a reviewer from the technical committee. The reviewing process is a form of quality assurance of the deliverables.The minutes of the start-up meeting is recorded and a quality plan is thereafter created by the Quality manager to detail the tasks to be managed

Start-up Meeting: Planning and Organisation ChartDirectorOfOperations

ProjectDirectorREVIEWERREVIEWERREVIEWER Quality ManagerProjectManager

TASKLEADER

TASKLEADER

TASKLEADER

ADMINISTRATION

PLANNING &PROGRAMMES

PROJECTACCOUNTSExternalOrganisations

GIBBTechnical Committee

Selection and Deployment of Human ResourceIn this case study, the project scope and scale are smaller compared to other projects managed by the CompanyIn general, the number and selection of staff deployed on a project is largely dependent on the scope of agreed services, fees agreed and the scale of the project. In this case study the number of staff deemed sufficient for this project are as follows:1. A Project Manager (PM) Years of experience: 152. A Resident Engineer (RE) Years of experience: 10 3. An assistant to the resident engineer (ARE) Year of Experience: 14. A Technical Officer (TO) Years of Experience: 15 5. A land surveyor Years of Experience: 10 6. A draughtsman / CAD Operator Years of Experience: 15

The selection of staff from the available pool is also dependent on their respective and current work load, number of years of experience and capabilities demonstrated on similar projects in the past. In case members of staff are inadequate on the project, the top management will have to be informed regarding recruitment. Recruitment of new staff is dependent on the financial situation of the company. As can be seen from the above list, the key players in the team all have at least 10 years of experience. The youngest member in the team happened to be the Assistant to the Resident Engineer (ARE) who was designated to work under the close supervision and guidance of the Resident Engineer (RE). The Assistant to the Resident Engineer (ARE) was also made to attend various in-house training sessions organised every year while on the project. Training sessions involve a sharing of knowledge and experience gathered by members of technical staff that have over 10 years of experience in the industry.

Project Team ChartProject Manager

Quality Manager

Reviewer

Resident Engineer (RE)

Land SurveyorReviewerTechnical Officer (TO)Assistant to Resident Engineer (ARE)

CAD Operator

2.6Organisation of the Team Following the start-up meeting, the Project Manager has the responsibility to conduct an internal meeting with all the team members designated to work on the project. This marks the first milestone of the project whereby the Project Manager is required to:1. Prepare and define the project scope of work, financial plan, its objectives and milestones.2. Assigning responsibilities.3. Identifying the resources requirement (e.g. logistics, survey equipment, software tools and training, protective equipment)Definition of Scope of WorksThe project involves both the design stage and the construction stage. The scope of the works for both stages are as follows:Feasibility & Design Stage: To conduct surveys for data collection To write inception and feasibility reports To perform design calculations for structural integrity & fitness of purpose To prepare building drawings To obtain approval for building Permit To prepare tender document To evaluate bids and award contractConstruction Stage: To carry out joint survey with the contractor To issue construction drawings To inspect and approve construction work as per drawings and quality standard To record daily programs and plant & labour returns To comment on the Contractors Programme of Work (PoW) To track the project deliveries wrt to the Contractors PoW To write progress and status report To process payment applications To write completion reports To approve as-built drawings

Definition of Project Objectives To produce inception and feasibility reports in line with the Clients requirement To produce preliminary designs in line with Clients Architectural requirement such that they are cost-effective and add value. To obtain clearance from the Authorities for necessary amenities on site To produce good quality drawings for within deadlines to obtain Building Permits To produce good quality tender drawings To design the tender document To ensure that the school is built in accordance with the contract within time and budget specified

Establishment of MilestonesEssential requirement for project tracking at each stage, the project milestones have been established as follows:1. Submission of Inception report2. Submission of Feasibility report3. Award of Building Permit4. Submission of tender document to the Client5. Award of contract post bid-evaluation6. Issue of Taking Over Certificate after completion of construction phase

Job ResponsibilityThe responsibilities assigned to each team member are described in the following table:NoTask Responsibility

0To Produce a Quality File for the ProjectQuality manager

1To conduct surveys for data collectionLand Surveyor

2To write inception and feasibility reportsARE / RE

3To perform design calculations for structural integrity & fitness of purposeARE

4To review design calculationsReviewer

5To prepare engineers building drawings CAD Operator

6To check engineers building drawingsARE

7To review engineers building drawingsReviewer

8To obtain approval for building PermitPM

9To prepare tender document

RE/PM

10To evaluate bids and award contract

RE/ARE

11To carry out joint survey with the contractor

Land Surveyor/ TO

12To issue construction drawingsRE/ARE

13To inspect and approve construction work as per drawings and quality standard

RE/ARE/TO

14To record daily programs and plant & labour returns

TO

15To track the project deliveries wrt to the Contractors PoWPM

16To write progress and status reportsPM

17To process payment applications

PM

18To write completion reports

RE/ARE

19To approve as-built drawings

RE/ARE

3.0Execution of the Works/Services

A Programme of Works prepared by the Project Manager is used to monitor the project by keeping track of the progress and the milestone dates.

3.1Quality ManagementEquipmentDuring stages of the project site surveys are required. As a means of quality control, the equipment used are recorded by means of an Equipment control sheet that is required to be filled in and submitted to the Quality Manager. Prior to using the equipment a calibration or test is done to ensure that the equipment is working properly and check its accuracy. The procedure is recorded in a calibration report also retrieved by the Quality Manager for storage in Quality file and used as a Key Performance Indicator.

Design ProcessAt the design stage, design software used to model the building for analysis of structural stability are also subjected to Quality control by carrying out software validation. This is a check done by modeling an element of the building and then performing hand-calculations to confirm the results.Another form of Quality control is done by having a Reviewer go through the design calculations made by the RE/ARE by means of a design review meeting the detailed outcome of which is recorded into the Quality File and used as a Key Performance Indicator.

Building DrawingsThe production of building drawings are also subjected to checks, corrections and reviews that are a form of quality control to ensure they are in line with the Companys standard for consistency. The recording of drawings by use of a specific drawing number enables tracking of drawings issued and facilitates management hence promoting quality management procedures by keep a drawing register. The record of drawings issued to the contractor at Construction stage is viewed as a Key Performance Indicator in the achievement of objectives set.

Reports and Tender DocumentsThe reports and tender documents are prepared and reviewed as a means of quality control in order to ensure that they are in line with the Companys standard, style and format to maintain consistency on the deliverables and services offered by the company. The Clients approval of the Tender document is taken as a Key Performance Indicator.

Construction StageThe standards defined in the Contract documents are generally the references needed to maintain and monitor quality on site works. The works ought to match the technical specifications and be delivered on time and within budget. The Key Performance Indicator used for this stage is usually at completion by means of a Client Satisfaction Questionnaire.

3.2Demings CycleAs can be seen from the procedures described previously the Plan DO Check Act cycle is being used at every stage of the project with an initial plan of the works and the tasks allotted to each team member. The quality system in place records the checking/reviewing procedure following which the team member acts accordingly. The cycle of continuous improvement helps achieve quality standards already defined and help control and absorb changes.

A good example where the Plan DO Check Act cycle can be seen is during the design phase. The PM and ARE is required to produce a Design Plan which is recorded in the Quality file whereby the tasks and agreed milestone dates for the design process are listed. Do the Design CalculationsPlan the Design

Act on the results and change Plan accordinglyCheck and Review Design wrt Clients requirements

A design Verification Form is used during the review meeting held with the Reviewer and the ARE that is used to record the procedure in the Quality File.

Another event during which the PDCA cycle comes into play is during management of change. For example when the client decides to make changes with the Architectural plans at the design stage. The design is checked to locate the extent to which it is in line with the Clients requirement, and action is taken accordingly by making amends to the initial design plan wrt design tasks and milestone dates. The cycle effectively helps manage changes on the project and prevents abortive work.

4.0 Conclusion The Demings cycle of continuous improvement is an effective a management tool to achieve goals while maintaining quality.The use of Project Management tools such as the Gantt chart enables project monitoring, by tracking the milestone dates and managing resources deployed to each activity.