When Parallel Schools of Thought Fail to Converge: The Case of Cost Overruns in Project Management

This paper investigates the conflicting and contrasting views between two prominent schools of thought (SOT), the conventional project management empirical school and the incoming behavioural and psychological sciences, to explain the cost overrun phenomenon in transportation infrastructure projects. Although theories within these SOTs seem to coexist and are used interchangeably, there exists a widening knowledge gap that leads to conflicting and contrasting ideological views. In this paper, we contend that there is a lack of a cross-fertilisation mechanism to fuse and co-join contemporary theories on cost overruns. This has led to the encapsulation and fragmented adhocracy in theory building. Utilising a critical review approach, this study proposes the concepts of ideological distancing and encapsulation between “empiricism” and “behavioural” SOTs as the focus of analyses for understanding the root causes of cost overruns in project studies. The study showed that the extant debate on cost overruns is limited and divergent, effectively contributing to the problem of continued expansion and non-convergence of theories that maintain parallel identities. This creates a space for inquiry, reflecting, theorising, and debating for the convergence of SOTs on cost overrun research and theories on what can be deemed project knowledge. This paper contributes to extant project studies by identifying the need for convergence and co-joining theories with different epistemes through causal linkages. Consequently, this will improve the public sector’s infrastructure policymaking by exposing the theoretical limitations of the current ad hoc manner and application of project management concepts based on the project professionals’ bounded decision-making rationalities

Implications of 'Lock-in' on Public Sector Project Management in a Small Island Development State

The concept of ‘Lock-In’, or the escalating cost of overcommitment on a project to a failing course of action, has unforeseeable implications in project management. This paper presents a case study on the occurrence and consequences of lock-in within the context of public sector housing projects in a small island developing state (SIDS). It demonstrates that cost overruns continue beyond the commissioning phase and throughout the project’s lifecycle, even though technical contingencies were implemented to deliver the intended project benefits. The findings unpack the implications of political expediency as a strategic tool mobilised to supersede proper technical decision-making prior to project execution. It concludes that project practitioners’ commitment to select and continue with a sub-optimal project can lead to the implementation of ineffective solutions to justify their actions, resulting in failed outcomes with negative social consequences. This research helps to advance project management knowledge in the us-er/operation phase, because previous scholarly work was limited to investigating lock-in from project conceptualisation to the commissioning phase

Rationalizing Critical Cost Overrun Factors on Public Sector Housing Programmes

The cost overrun phenomenon on projects worldwide creates a major source of risk that warrants investigation. The prevailing factor school of thought provides strong empirical evidence that critical factors contributing to cost overruns are both context-specific and project-specific. Although many studies have been conducted identifying factors and causes of cost overruns, very few studies have investigated root causes. Additionally, a limited body of knowledge is available within the context of Small Island Development States (SIDS). To fill this gap, the objectives of this study were to identify and determine the main critical factors contributing to the cost overrun phenomenon in public sector social housing programmes (PSSHPs). These selected factors were thereafter categorized under leading root causes, and their severity was determined based on primary stakeholders’ perspectives. One hundred and twenty-three factors were identified from the literature, of which forty-one critical factors were extracted and grouped under four root causes based on a pilot survey of relevant public sector housing experts in the Trinidadian and Jamaican construction sectors. These refined factors and root causes were formulated into a questionnaire survey. One hundred and five responses were obtained from professionals who had a minimum of five years’ experience in various phases of public housing delivery. The severity of these critical factors was evaluated, ranked, and categorized using the relative importance index (RII) approach. The findings uncovered the leading root cause, which is political in nature. The top five critical factors are the selection of politically aligned contractors, the intentional design of inadequate contracts, the project actors' deliberately underestimating costs, the partisan project management team, and strategic misrepresentation. These findings are unique to SIDS and contribute to knowledge to reframe contemporary project management practices, which focus mainly on technical causes. Finally, as existing technical solutions are ineffective in curbing cost overruns in PSSHPs, these findings also inform public sector policymakers to focus on prioritization, control, and mitigation of political risks in formulating effective governance mechanisms

Birth preparedness and complication readiness among women of reproductive age in Kenya and Tanzania : a community-based cross-sectional survey

Background: Delayed health-seeking continues to contribute to preventable maternal and neonatal deaths in low resource countries. Some of the strategies to avoid the delay include early preparation for the birth and detection of danger signs. We aimed to assess the level of practice and factors associated with birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) in Kenya and Tanzania. Methods: We conducted community-based multi-stage cross-sectional surveys in Kilifi and Kisii counties in Kenya and Mwanza region in Tanzania and included women who delivered two years preceding the survey (2016–2017). A woman who mentioned at least three out of five BPCR components was considered well-prepared. Bivariate and multivariable proportional odds model were used to determine the factors associated with the BPCR. The STROBE guidelines for cross-sectional studies informed the design and reporting of this study. Results: Only 11.4% (59/519) and 7.6% (31/409) of women were well-prepared for birth and its complications in Kenya and Tanzania, respectively, while 39.7 and 30.6% were unprepared, respectively. Level of education (primary: adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.59, 95% CI: 1.14–2.20, secondary: aOR: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.39–3.59), delivery within health facility (aOR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.15–2.29), good knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy (aOR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.80– 2.04), labour and childbirth (aOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.93–2.67), postpartum (aOR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.24–5.79), and antenatal care were associated with BPCR (aOR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.13–1.78). Conclusion: Overall, most pregnant women were not prepared for birth and its complications in Kilifi, Kisii and Mwanza region. Improving level of education, creating awareness on danger signs during preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period, and encouraging antenatal care and skilled birth care among women and their male partners/families are recommended strategies to promote BPCR practices and contribute to improved pregnancy outcomes in women and newborns

Assessment of the physical characteristics and stormwater effluent quality of permeable pavement systems containing recycled materials

This paper evaluates the physical characteristics of two recycled materials and the pollutant removal efficiencies of four 0.2 m2 tanked permeable pavement rigs in the laboratory, that contained either natural aggregates or these recycled materials in the sub-base. The selected recycled materials were Crushed Concrete Aggregates (CCA) and Cement-bounded Expanded Polystyrene beads (C-EPS) whilst the natural aggregates were basalt and quartzite. Natural stormwater runoff was used as influent. Effluent was collected for analysis after 7–10 mins of discharge. Influent and effluent were analysed for pH, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Electroconductivity (EC), turbidity, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Nitrate-Nitrogen (NO3-N), reactive phosphorous (PO43-) and sulphates (SO42-). Both CCA and C-EPS had suitable physical properties for use as sub-base materials in PPS. However, C-EPS is recommended for use in pavements with light to no traffic because of its relatively low compressive strength. In terms of pollutant removal efficiencies, significant differences (p 0.05) were found with respect to TSS, turbidity, COD and NO3-N. Effluent from rigs containing CCA and C-EPS saw significant increases in pH, EC and TDS measurements whilst improvements in DO, TSS, turbidity, COD, PO43- and SO42- were observed. All mean values except pH were, however, within the Maximum Permissible Levels (MPLs) of water pollutants discharged into the environment according to the Trinidad and Tobago Environmental Management Authority (EMA) or the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). In this regard, the CCA and C-EPS performed satisfactorily as sub-base materials in the permeable pavement rigs. It is noted, however, that further analysis is recommended through leaching tests on the recycled materials

Effect of carbon-negative aggregates on the strength properties of concrete for permeable pavements

Permeable pavements are engineered to temporarily store water to reduce flooding during rainfall events. Permeable pavements are distinguished primarily based on their surface materials which can vary from concrete, asphalt, clay brick, concrete pavers or plastic grids. This paper examined the effect of lightweight carbon-negative aggregates (CNA) on the behaviour of concrete intended for use as solid concrete block pavers in permeable pavements. Performance indicators targeted compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, density and water absorption. CNA were produced and sourced from manufacturing firm Carbon8 Systems in Kent U.K which applies patented accelerated carbonation technology to solidify incinerated ash into useful eco-friendly aggregates. The methodology involved substituting natural aggregates (NA) by mass, with CNA at percentages varying from 0 to 100. A scanning electron microscope was used to examine the aggregate–mortar interface. Both the compressive and tensile strengths decreased exponentially with the addition of CNA. Average 28-day compressive and splitting tensile strengths ranged from 69 MPa (10,000 PSI) to 18 MPa (2600 PSI) and 3.84 MPa (560 PSI) to 1.23 MPa (178 PSI) respectively. Density values decreased linearly with the addtion of CNA with average values ranging from 2200–2600 kg/m3. ⁠Conversely, water absorption increased with increases in CNA with average values ranging from 1.66% to 9.17%. Depending on the loading requirements, CNA can replace NA in solid permeable pavement blocks by up to 100%

Building thermal energy modeling with loss minimization

The thermal losses in buildings are significant energy sinks. The Energy Semantic Network (ESN) is a new method for finding these losses at the design stage, as well as for the existing structures. The research purpose of ESN is to take into consideration the governing factors of building thermal performance (i.e. the insulation materials, the dimensions, the loads, and the schedules of people interactions), associate these factors with any building of choice, and to subject the model to range of dynamical changes, that will help to make the decisions for improving the building thermal performance. The current work is only an early stage on ESN, the end goal of ESN is to evaluate the thermal energy conservation technologies with respect to the dynamical thermal changes, and track the dominant sinks resulting from these changes. Currently, the energy conservation technologies present an opportunity for reducing the utility use, and, thereby, the savings in capital for long term performance. The thermal energy conservation problems are unique to every building, due to the storage and the supply of the energy in response to the seasonal demands, structure, and the nature of the building utilization (the involvement of people). With the current simulation software, such as Energy Plus, there exists a convenient way of simulating the annual building performance, without the tediousness of monitoring the physical building. However, in that case, any particular spontaneous effects may not be completely accounted. The ESN structure is intended to make up for the spontaneous effects, and be accountable for possible spikes in the energy use that may occur throughout the year. Such spikes in energy consumption do not have to be singular, because it is possible to assign an array of situations where energy losses occur and track them to the specific location. The use of ESN for tracking the energy losses can lead to a solution for preventing similar spikes in the future by isolating the most significant sink. The enclosed research on the ESN method includes the foundations of ESN, the case study of a hypothetical hotel located in Ontario, and a detailed Simulink representation of ESN. 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This research is part of an international fund project with Qatar National Research Foundation, Fund Number: NPRP 5-209-2-071, with the collaboration between University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Qatar University (QU).Scopus2-s2.0-8490789323

Integración de criterios de desempeños en el mejoramiento energético-ambiental de viviendas sociales existentes en Chile

En Chile, 75% del parque habitacional existente fue construido sin consideraciones energéticas-ambientales, convirtiéndose en altos consumidores de energía. Hoy existen medidas de mejoramiento energético para viviendas existentes, pero éstas solo consideran algunos desempeños con implicancia en la demanda energética, siendo cada uno mejorado de manera independiente, sin considerar la relación y el efecto que conllevan al estar integrados. Esta investigación propone cubrir una brecha de conocimiento, de cómo diferentes criterios de desempeños actúan integralmente en el mejoramiento energético-ambiental de una vivienda. Actualmente se carece de tal conocimiento, que bajo la filosofía prestacional, genera diversas estrategias de mejoramiento para objetivos de desempeños en climas templados: Confort Térmico, Eficiencia Energética por Calefacción y Calidad del Aire Interior. Se somete un caso de estudio en el centro-sur de Chile, a un diagnostico post-ocupacional (monitorizaciones, simulaciones dinámicas y encuestas de percepción), para establecer criterios de desempeños, cuya relevancia e interdependencia se analiza mediante un estudio multifactorial. Se concluye que para alcanzar dichos objetivos es implícito mejorar la vivienda bajo la integración de criterios como: aumento de hermeticidad al aire, disminución del valor de transmitancia térmico y entrega del caudal de ventilación mínimo; siempre en una solución holística y no aislada