Project Management Assignment: Professional Practice For The Construction Industry

Question

Task:
Project Management Assignment Context:
The extended period of lockdown through alert levels 4 and 3 has meant many changes to the communication and interaction you will have experienced in your team since the start of CIBC5015. This has reduced the opportunity to meet with team members and has required online solutions to allow collaboration. Although external circumstances have required this shift in this case, similar remote collaboration arrangements are often required in the workplace due to nationally or internationally scattered team members.

Content:

• How team members contributed to the team, with examples from activities. Describe your own performance and that of two other members of your team.
• How effectively the team functioned. Use the Tuckman model as a framework and describe the development of the team from the start of the course until this point. Consider whether you had all the skills you needed, describe any conflicts that occurred.
• How authority, responsibility, accountability, and delegation of tasks were managed by the team. Consider aspects such as leadership and team participation, with specific examples. A team structure diagram should be included to show roles, relationships and responsibilities.
• How the team communicated, particularly through the remote working phase. Include interactions within the team, with other teams and with the client. As evidence you should include discussion of communication platforms used, minutes from a team meeting, examples of correspondence you had with other teams (e.g. email exchanges or RFIs).

A written report, not to exceed 1500 words, in a formal business style that you would present to your manager.

Answer

Overview of the context of project management assignment
The construction industry is vast and requires an adequate amount of professional practice for operational management. The proper management consists of various practices like acting with integrity, adoption of ethical and legal approaches, and high service standards. This construction project consists of my team that comprises of four members and I have provided an overview of my experiences with them. The names of my team members are Joseph Student, Leslie Ping, Tony Parker and Gwen Browning.

Contribution
As an engineer managing a construction project is a very hard task as it requires the coordination of the various team members like the contractor, architect, interior designers, and the construction manager. The team performance management plan for the building project consisted of a few approaches that are considered integral. The most important component of our team performance is the involvement of the management. The cooperative nature of the team members along with the presence of proper goal setting is the main contributor in the management process of the building project (Assaf et al., 2014). Learning and development along with proper feedback and training elements are also considered important components of our team performance management that have contributed to the performance management plan. The management plan has helped me as a project engineer to manage the various parts of the construction project like supervising the workers and other crew members and preparing estimates for material and other expenses. As a project engineer, I have completed the quality assurance aspects and observed the health and safety standards, and compiled various necessary feedback and reports for the interests of stakeholders.

I have also managed the planning of the structural, mechanical, and electrical conditions of the building project which is maintained through proper evaluation of all the drawings and designs. However, the impact of the covid 19 pandemic forced me to adopt remote location work access for this project (Bello et al., 2020). It was initially tough as there was a huge communication gap between me and my team members which contributed to the loss of decision-making time for the crucial aspects of the project. The meetings and conferences with the construction team had to be conducted through virtual mode on the internet, which significantly contributed to the extension of the project duration and deadline. The lockdown caused a lack of communication among the design architect Mrs Gwen Browning who is a very efficient professional and the contractor Mr. Tony Parker which caused a delay in the completion of the project. Leslie Ping who is our interior designer also could not provide the designs in a timely manner which caused a delay in the meetings with the contractor, architect and the interior designer. The practical explanations and discussion regarding the frame or design of the building could not be done on the virtual online mode and therefore the meeting between the contractor and the design architect along with the interior designer could not be completed on due time which resulted in the delay (Gilliland, 2019). The lack of timely communication between the contractor and design architect can be considered as a failure in timely contribution for the project. The absence of the two team members caused a delay in the overall decision-making process which later delayed the project.

Effectiveness
The Tuck man’s model consists of five important stages known as forming, storming, norming, and performing. The model focuses on the way how a team tackles a project from the initial stages to the completion stage. The model is applicable in projects which do not start fully formed and lack proper functioning. The formation of our construction team started very well with well-defined and dedicated management and operational team. The absence of a storming session that involves a detailed discussion between all the team members created a gap in the time frame or completion deadline of the building project (Khodeir & El Ghandour, 2019). The delay can significantly disrupt the interests of the stakeholders and decrease the valuation of the project in the market. The norming session also got delayed due to the storming session and the establishment of team values, roles, and responsibilities were enforced upon the team members. This session significantly helped me and the team in interacting and collaborating which helped us in assembling insights and generating ideas regarding the construction project. This session helped us discuss the purpose and aim of the project by assigning tasks and establishing timelines for completion (Lucian et al., 2017). The performing stage is also crucial as it helped us establish cooperation among the team members and drive the construction operations in a swifter mode. Our team had been very focused, organized, and matured with a sense of proper responsibility.

As a project engineer in the construction industry, I possess skills related to communication and problem-solving abilities which have helped me develop organizational skills. These skills have particularly helped me manage the remote location work access with ease as it also caused some delays and miscommunications. However, I lacked some leadership skills and creativity details which I used to consult with the designer architect Mrs. Gwen Browning as she possessed great ideas related to creativity and innovation in design and structure (McEwan et al., 2017). Our team had great skills and abilities and they collectively utilized them to construct the building using fine skills and expertise. The abilities of our team collectively helped us complete the project very comprehensively.

The personal relationship bonding among our team members significantly helped in averting the conflicts that are usually seen in the constriction project teams. Various conflicts like uncertainty, contractual problems, and the behaviour of the workers contribute to the delay or loss of reputation of a project (Oliveros & Vaz-Serra, 2018). However, in our case, the relationship with the contractor is very strong and no conflicts have been reported among the other employees and team members since the inception of the project and it was completed successfully without any issues except the delay due to lockdown measures. We work together as a team and try to preserve and protect the dignity of our organization and respect our relation and goodwill with the stakeholders.

Team functioning
Team coordination has been an integral part of our project and the goodwill and reputation of our team have always been an inspiration for other organizations. We are dedicated and focused to drive and accelerate our values and vision for future sustainability and preserve a good working environment. As an engineer, I have my designated role in preparing the blueprint for the construction project. I coordinate with the designer architect for proper implementation of the designs and plans required for the construction. The contractor Mr. Tony Parker explains the responsibilities and roles of the workers and they cooperate with the architect to build according to the plans and designs (Tabassi et al., 2018). The construction patterns are developed by the engineer and therefore I had a tough time deciding the suitable pattern required for the construction of the building.

This is how the job roles are delegated and authority, responsibility, and accountability are managed by the entire team for the particular project. The lockdown due to the pandemic created significant damage to the construction industry as work progress was halted in many places. A lack of communication within the team particularly Mr. Parker and Mrs. Browning negatively affected team relationships temporarily. Remote location work and restrictions in-suite access delayed the project by a few months (Zulch, 2014). However, this delay did not create an impact on the stakeholder as it was a global concern with almost all industries facing a temporary shutdown. Roles, relationships, and job responsibilities were however preserved by the adherence to organizational values and the mission and vision statements.

Team structure of construction industry according to roles and responsibilities
Source: Abossein Engineering, “Construction Management” (Abossein Engineering2016)

Communication
Communication within the construction teams is integral for the proper functioning of the project. Phone calls, texting, radios, and intercoms are usually the preferred communication modes within the team members of a construction site project. Apart from these communicative aspects, the implementation of some technological implications can be effective communication modes among the team members. The establishment of a formal communicative chain can help the organization complete the project successfully within the stipulated timeframe. In our project, the team members used an integrated application like Crew which made it easier for our team to work on the project details and communicate with each other effectively (Mc Hale, 2019). In addition to that, our team used cloud-based construction management software named Procore which has significantly helped in increasing the project efficiency and accountability by providing a communication channel that is streamlined. Documentation can also be benefitted by the use of this software application and it has enhanced the information and data aspects of the project. Procore successfully helps the project managers and the entire team of the construction company to access project-related documents. However, the main disadvantage of using Procore is the upload time for the drawings and sketches along with the mappings.

The updates and system changes take a significant amount of time and the communication from the team members can be affected by the slow networking system of the cloud-based computing application. Stakeholders carry significant importance in a building project. The specific project is a commercial apartment and the stakeholders considered in the project are the commercial space purchasers and the main plot owner. Procore can provide a detailed overview of the various spaces that are designed for commercial lease and outright sales after the project completion (McEwan et al., 2017). The project status can be shown to the stakeholders via online access mode and they can communicate accordingly with the landowner. The use of emails, websites, dashboards, and webcams can also be effective communication modes for the stakeholders. Our team meeting consisted of key issues like the execution of the contract, details related to payments, work statement scope, and the process of approval. Apart from these core issues, we have also discussed the risks and concerns related to logistics, timeline, costs, and overhead expenses. Moreover, the viability and feasibility of the commercial project have been the main topic of consideration after the project completion.

References
Abossein Engineering. (2016). Construction Management. Abossein Engineering. http://www.abossein.com/services/construction-management/

Assaf, S., Hassanaian, M., & Mughal, H. (2014, June). (PDF) Effectiveness of Project Teams and their Impact on the Performance of Saudi Construction Projects. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287031561_Effectiveness_of_Project_Teams_and_their_ Impact_on_the_Performance_of_Saudi_Construction_Projects

Bello, S. A., Oyedele, L. O., Akinade, O. O., Bilal, M., Davila Delgado, J. M., Akanbi, L. A., Ajayi, A. O., & Owolabi, H. A. (2020). Cloud computing in construction industry: Use cases, benefits and challenges. Automation in Construction, 122(2), 103441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103441

Gilliland, K. (2019, March 26). Construction Design Team Roles and Responsibilities | GCM. Gilliland Construction Management. https://gillilandcm.com/2019/03/26/construction-design-team-roles-and-responsibilities/

Khodeir, L. M., & El Ghandour, A. (2019). Examining the role of value management in controlling cost overrun [application on residential construction projects in Egypt]. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 10(3), 471–479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2018.11.008

Lucian, A., Johanna, G., & Gal, H. (2017). DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY IN A LOW TRUST COUNTRY. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1113073/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Mc Hale, B. (2019, June 27). How To Engage And Communicate With Project Stakeholders? Project Central. https://www.projectcentral.com/blog/project-stakeholder-engagement/

McEwan, D., Ruissen, G. R., Eys, M. A., Zumbo, B. D., & Beauchamp, M. R. (2017). The Effectiveness of Teamwork Training on Teamwork Behaviors and Team Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Interventions. PLOS ONE, 12(1), e0169604. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169604

Oliveros, J., & Vaz-Serra, P. (2018). Construction project manager skills: a systematic literature review. In https://anzasca.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/23-Construction-project-manager-skills-a-systematic-literature-review.pdf. https://anzasca.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/23-Construction-project-manager-skills-a-systematic-literature-review.pdf

Tabassi, A. A., Abdullah, A., & Bryde, D. J. (2018). Conflict Management, Team Coordination, and Performance Within Multicultural Temporary Projects: Evidence From the Construction Industry. Project management assignment Project Management Journal, 50(1), 101–114. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756972818818257

Zulch, B. (2014). Communication: The Foundation of Project Management. Procedia Technology, 16(1), 1000–1009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protcy.2014.10.054