1. The Project Development Process:
Module 00-2
Last Modified: 12/2/2018
The Project Development Process is normally covered during the first week of class.
Reference Reading: Halpin and Woodhead, Chapter 1.
If the topic is being covered the first time and students are somewhat familiar with design and construction , it should take minutes. If the students are unfamiliar with design and construction and the process, minutes.
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2. Purpose
Establish the context for understanding the typical construction project development process.
Establish the context in which the Project Manager relates to the process and his/her role in managing the process.
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3. Learning Objectives
Be able to draw and annotate a sketch of the Project Development Process.
The first Learning Object makes a good Exam Question. The other two make good discussion topics.
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4. There Is No Unique Process
There is a general process for the development of engineering projects
Every situation will create a unique variation on the general theme
Unusual situations often create the need to make substantial changes to the traditional process.
The construction process may exist in many configurations: traditional, fast tracked, design build, etc. But, no matter the variation, project controls are required for success.
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5. The Usual Parties Involved
The Owner: the party receiving the value and underwriting expenses.
The Designer: the party creating all or part of the design on behalf of the Owner (in-house).
The Builder (usually referred to as the Contractor): the party executing the design on behalf of the Owner (in house).
The Project Manager’s role in managing the process depends upon his relationship to one or more of these parties.
Students should realize that the all three parties may exist within the same organization. For example, the Texas Department of Transportation is a very large owner who may act as the designer and contractor on a specific project. It is only recently that the Department has made extensive use of out-side design consultants – in 2002 about 50% of the design and environmental work is performed under contract. About 50% of maintenance construction is accomplished in-house.
If you are the Project Manager for the Design Consultant, you are in effect constructing a set of plans and the PM’s responsibilities remain the same. The PM for the Owner has responsibility for the entire process.
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6. The Traditional Project Development Process
The Instructor should relate the previous discussion to the boxes on this slide.
** Owner usually retains a design consultant during the design portion of the process.
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7. The Traditional Process Steps
Recognize the need and gather support
Assess the need and “scope” the project
Generate conceptual designs (without evaluation)
Evaluate alternatives (time, cost, performance, etc.)
Select feasible design(s) and revaluate
Develop final, detailed design(s) (PS&E)
Select builder (bids, negotiation, partnering, etc.)
Build according to the final design and specifications and monitor and control progress
Take corrective actions when necessary
Accept upon satisfactory completion
Put completed project into service
This list is a supplement to the the process flow-chart and can also be used as an alternative Exam question.
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8. Fast Tracked Process
Designer and Contractor selected early in the process; perhaps before detailed design has begun.
Owner, designer, and contractor must “partner” for this to be really successful. Responsibility for project controls must be “shared” among all parties concerned.
Principal advantage is time savings; principal disadvantage is design changes or “scope creep” leading to disputes between the owner, designer, and the contractor.
Students have difficulty grasping the concept that the design and construction phases may overlap – In fact there are good reasons to do so.
The financial reason is often the early delivery of a revenue generating asset, say the oil pipeline in the Bechtel Video. $30-million in revenue/month will generate enough extra income to compensate for any number of construction inefficiencies.
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9. Discussion Exercise: 00.2.2, Ask Selected Individuals
As an Owner, why would you consider “fast tracking” a project?
As a Contractor, why would you enter into such a risky venture?
As a Designer, what are the hidden dangers for you?
This discussion exercise is to reinforce the prior discussion.
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10. Discussion Exercise
Ask selected Pairs to report on the following issues:
Assume that you are the Builder’s Project Manager, what part of the process concerns you?
Assume that you are the PM for the Designer?
Assume that you are the PM for the Owner?
Again, this discussion should reinforce the prior discussion.
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11. Project Manager Responsibilities
Regardless of the Project Manager’s role, he/she has four primary project control responsibilities:
Complete the project on schedule
Complete the work under budget
Deliver the proper quality and quantity of work
Maintain a safe and non threatening work place.
Project controls are designed to ensure success in all four areas.
This is the heart and soul of project management –” everything else is just poetry.” The Instructor must make sure that students understand that this is the job of a Project Manager and that you will be dismissed, if you can not perform, regardless of the circumstances. If fact it is so important that Project Managers on large, high-risk construction projects, who perform to expectations or better, are the highest paid of all civil engineers. Software project managers who can perform are paid even more.
The students get the first three but have problems with the fourth. See exercise #1.4 for discussion topics.
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12. PM’s Role Depends Upon Location Within Process
This slide targets the process from the point of view of the Owner and the Contractor. The idea is that the Owner generates new business opportunities and the Contractor must track the opportunities and compete for the business. Again these are sub-processes that must be managed.
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13. Discussion Exercise :
As a Project Manager, assume that you work for the designer, what does a safe and non-threatening work place mean?
Does it mean?
Sexual Harassment, or
Dangerous Horse Play, or
Bullying.
From another point of view, what risk are you trying to control in this case?
What other risks are there?
This slide attempts to get at the human side of project management. There is more to this idea of a safe and non-threatening work place than accident avoidance. This usually catches students by surprise. I use the following sequence of questions:
First, ask a male student what a safe work place means to him.
Then, ask a female exactly the same question. About 50% of the time you will get the same answer.
Finally, ask an outgoing female student what She thinks non-threatening means. About 90% of the time, the phrase “not being hit on” comes up.
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14. Optional Readings
Halpin and Woodhead, Chapter 1 – History and Basic Concepts.
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15. Reminder! Class Assessment Questions
In 1 sentence what was the muddiest part of this module?
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