Low-cost housing: A cost management model for process integration and evaluation

Effective cost management is a vital requisite for successful Low-cost housing projects (LHPs) management and delivery. Whilst several attempts have been made to develop appropriate structured models for cost management practice, many of these models are fragmented and do not capture a holistic representation of the system components or their interrelationships in LHP settings. Moreover, these models are predominantly descriptive by nature – only identifying the components of cost management and not how they can be implemented within LHP settings. This research adopts an explicit sequential mixed research design to develop a bespoke LHP cost management model for process integration and evaluation in Nigeria. This identifies the structures and interrelationships needed to conceptualise and implement cost management practice effectively. Research findings highlight eight important techniques. These include target costing, approximate estimating, site meetings, Earned Value Analysis, on-site resource control, cash flow analysis, cost reporting and cost aggregation. However, it also needs to be acknowledged that it is important also to have: a well-developed client brief; detailed project designs and accompanying specifications; effective project planning and supervision; and competent teams (client and contractor) to discharge responsibilities. The importance of early contractor involvement was also seen as a core lever for success throughout the pre-design, design, and construction stages of LHP. The resulting model standardises cost management practice to provide a systematic ‘blueprint’ beneficial to project managers, cost managers and project management teams in evaluating and managing CMS processes more effectively in LHP settings. It is expected that the project department in Housing agencies adopts this model as a requirement for cost management practice in LHPs in Nigeria

Multi-criteria analysis of early warning system for flood risk reduction in Barangay Tumana in Marina City, Philippines

With central emphasis on people at risk, property and cost effectiveness, flood early warning system has been recommended in most flood risk reduction literatures and global frameworks. For instance, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015-2030, on the seventh target emphasizes on the need for an increase in the availability and accessibility of early warning systems. The UN Sustainable Development Goal thirteen, also stresses on improving institutional capacity for early warning systems. To promote these development agenda, evaluating early warning system would help identify best practices that can be replicated in other communities. This study therefore evaluates flood early warning system in Barangay Tumana in Marikina City of the Philippines using Multi-criteria Analysis (MCA) and outline recommendations for its improvement. Lessons for implementation in other emerging economies are also outlined. Data were obtained from 100 households through questionnaire administering and key informant interview from the various institutions involved in flood risk reduction in the barangay. On a ratio scale of zero to one where one is the highest score and zero is the lowest score, the score for overall effectiveness of the warning system was 0.811. This indicates that, the system is extremely effective since failures associated in the operation of flood early warning system have been significantly reduced. Ghana and many other emerging countries which have recently installed early warning systems can therefore learn from the Marikina’s experience. &nbsp

Critical success criteria for mass house building projects in developing countries

Project success is a complex and often illusory construct. Nonetheless, it is crucially contingent towards enabling appropriate and effective allocation of resources in project management practice. Mass house building projects (MHBPs) represent one of the largest and most established project-based sectors of the construction industry in most developing economies. Above all, the management skills required on these projects differ significantly from the one-off projects often encountered in the construction industry. While some success criteria may be common across project types, there is no denying the fact that some determinants of success are likely to be unique to projects of specific characteristics. This research sets out to address what constitutes the determinants of success in MHBPs. A questionnaire survey is used to establish property developers' perception of critical success criteria in MHBPs in Ghana. Data analysis (involving one-sample t-test) reveals some interesting findings in regard to how property developers perceive the importance of the project success criteria. Factors analysis reveals four underlying clusters named in order of their significance as environmental-impact, customer satisfaction, quality and cost and time. This systematic approach towards understanding the taxonomy of the success dimension in MHBPs is important for re-enforcing effective project management practices in this significant sector of the construction industry. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd and IPMA

Empowerment in project teams: a multilevel examination of the job performance implications

An integrative multilevel model of empowerment and job performance behaviours is advanced, building on social cognitive theory (SCT). Empowerment climate is hypothesized as influencing individual and team performance behaviours directly and partially through individual and team (psychological) empowerment. Using survey responses from 380 individuals, nested in 115 project management teams, we tested the direct, indirect and cross-level relationships delineated in the multilevel model, using a combination of OLS regression models and hierarchical linear modelling (HLM). Empowerment climate positively related not only directly to both task and contextual performance behaviours but partially through both individual and team empowerment. At the team level, empowerment climate also positively related directly to taskwork and teamwork behaviours and partially through team empowerment. The results suggest that empowerment climate and psychological empowerment play complementary roles in engendering individual and team performance behaviours and are therefore not mutually exclusive. The findings are also evident of convergence in management practices across cultures as well as different work contexts and further provide concrete targets of manipulation by organizations and leaders desirous of empowering individuals and teams in the project context.Empowerment climate, hierarchical linear modelling (HLM), job performance behaviours, psychological empowerment, social cognitive theory (SCT),