Guidelines to Aid Project Managers in Conceptualizing and Implementing Risk Management in Building Projects

28th International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing (FAIM2018), June 11-14, 2018, Columbus, OH, USARisk management has become a critical issue as a result of globalisation and the continued quest for greater returns. Construction organisations most especially in developing countries, approach risk management in building construction projects by using a set of practices that are normally insufficient, produce poor results often, and turn profitable building construction projects into loosing ventures. An integrated risk management approach allows construction organisations to consistently deliver superior performance while proactively managing risk. To address this gap, this paper offers a consolidated risk management system for building projects and provides project managers with guidelines for its proper implementation. In addition to helping project managers in improving risk management capability in building projects, the guideline profiled in this paper may also be of use to practitioners in other project risk management settings

Managing the delivery of iconic football stadiums in England

The English football premier league has become the most popular sports league in the world; with ardent fans and audiences all over the world. The potential business opportunities that this growth holds have therefore attracted investors who are keen to buy shares in the clubs and sign up the best footballers that money can buy. Underpinning the growth in all of the premier league clubs is a desire to make a distinct statement of identity as part of a competitive strategy. One way to achieve this is through the design and construction of iconic football stadiums. This paper explores the specific project management challenges associated with delivery of iconic football stadiums in England and draws lessons for the management of similar iconic infrastructure projects. A study of project management best practice and some case studies shows that key issues which are common to these projects are centred on design management; choice of procurement route; client management; and stakeholder expectation management. These issues are not necessarily unique to the project management of iconic football stadiums but are amplified by the context of these projects. The emphasis on iconic status in a competitive market also means that stadium projects should be conceived and delivered in the context of other strategic projects which should be clearly understood by the project management team

Combination of Growth Model and Earned Schedule to Forecast Project Cost at Completion

To improve the accuracy of early forecasting the final cost at completion of an ongoing construction project, a new regression-based nonlinear cost estimate at completion (CEAC) methodology is proposed that integrates a growth model with earned schedule (ES) concepts. The methodology provides CEAC computations for project early-stage and middle-stage completion. To this end, this paper establishes three primary objectives, as follows: (1) develop a new formula based on integration of the ES method and four candidate growth models (logistic, Gompertz, Bass, andWeibull), (2) validate the new methodology through its application to nine past projects, and (3) select the equation with the best-performing growth model through testing their statistical validity and comparing the accuracy of their CEAC estimates. Based on statistical validity analysis of the four growth models and comparison of CEAC errors, the CEAC formula based on the Gompertz model is better-fitting and generates more accurate final-cost estimates than those computed by using the other three models and the index-based method. The proposed methodology is a theoretical contribution towards the combination of earned-value metrics with regression-based studies. It also brings practical implications associated with usage of a viable and accurate forecasting technique that considers the schedule impact as a determinant factor of cost behavio

Private finance for the delivery of school projects in England

This paper analyses the use of the private finance initiative (PFI) approach to deliver school projects in England. The findings are based on case-study research in the Building Schools for the Future scheme (BSF), the largest single capital investment in SO years to rebuild and renew all of England's secondary schools. Up to half of the school infrastructure is to be procured by PFI contracts. A major concern has been the high cost associated with PFI procurement and any subsequent changes to scope. Furthermore, in some cases PFI-funded schools have been closed soon after completion; at great cost to the public sector. The aim of this research was therefore to understand the underlying reasons for these problems. The main conclusion is that the difficulties in BSF arise from not sorting out strategic issues and instituting appropriate organisational frameworks before engaging the private sector. The result of this is a lack of clarity about the long-term needs and end user aspirations. A brief outline of current programme management methods is given and it is suggested that this might be integral to the successful delivery of schools using private finance. A clear strategic vision that cascades into projects via programmes will ensure that the school infrastructure is appropriate for the anticipated strategic benefits and is aligned to the overall service delivery ambitions

Access to Artemisinin-Based Anti-Malarial Treatment and its Related Factors in Rural Tanzania.

Artemisinin-based combination treatment (ACT) has been widely adopted as one of the main malaria control strategies. However, its promise to save thousands of lives in sub-Saharan Africa depends on how effective the use of ACT is within the routine health system. The INESS platform evaluated effective coverage of ACT in several African countries. Timely access within 24 hours to an authorized ACT outlet is one of the determinants of effective coverage and was assessed for artemether-lumefantrine (Alu), in two district health systems in rural Tanzania. From October 2009 to June 2011we conducted continuous rolling household surveys in the Kilombero-Ulanga and the Rufiji Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites (HDSS). Surveys were linked to the routine HDSS update rounds. Members of randomly pre-selected households that had experienced a fever episode in the previous two weeks were eligible for a structured interview. Data on individual treatment seeking, access to treatment, timing, source of treatment and household costs per episode were collected. Data are presented on timely access from a total of 2,112 interviews in relation to demographics, seasonality, and socio economic status. In Kilombero-Ulanga, 41.8% (CI: 36.6-45.1) and in Rufiji 36.8% (33.7-40.1) of fever cases had access to an authorized ACT provider within 24 hours of fever onset. In neither of the HDSS site was age, sex, socio-economic status or seasonality of malaria found to be significantly correlated with timely access. Timely access to authorized ACT providers is below 50% despite interventions intended to improve access such as social marketing and accreditation of private dispensing outlets. To improve prompt diagnosis and treatment, access remains a major bottle neck and new more innovative interventions are needed to raise effective coverage of malaria treatment in Tanzania

Feasibility and Coverage of Implementing Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnant women Contacting Private or Public Clinics in Tanzania: Experience-based Viewpoints of Health Managers in Mkuranga and Mufindi districts.

Evidence on healthcare managers' experience on operational feasibility of malaria intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) using sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in Africa is systematically inadequate. This paper elucidates the perspectives of District Council Health Management Team (CHMT)s regarding the feasibility of IPTp with SP strategy, including its acceptability and ability of district health care systems to cope with the contemporary and potential challenges. The study was conducted in Mkuranga and Mufindi districts. Data were collected between November 2005 and December 2007, involving focus group discussion (FGD) with Mufindi CHMT and in-depth interviews were conducted with few CHMT members in Mkuranga where it was difficult to summon all members for FGD. Participants in both districts acknowledged the IPTp strategy, considering the seriousness of malaria in pregnancy problem; government allocation of funds to support healthcare staff training programmes in focused antenatal care (fANC) issues, procuring essential drugs distributed to districts, staff remuneration, distribution of fANC guidelines, and administrative activities performed by CHMTs. The identified weaknesses include late arrival of funds from central level weakening CHMT's performance in health supervision, organising outreach clinics, distributing essential supplies, and delivery of IPTp services. Participants anticipated the public losing confidence in SP for IPTp after government announced artemither-lumefantrine (ALu) as the new first-line drug for uncomplicated malaria replacing SP. Role of private healthcare staff in IPTp services was acknowledged cautiously because CHMTs rarely supplied private clinics with SP for free delivery in fear that clients would be required to pay for the SP contrary to government policy. In Mufindi, the District Council showed a strong political support by supplementing ANC clinics with bottled water; in Mkuranga such support was not experienced. A combination of health facility understaffing, water scarcity and staff non-adherence to directly observed therapy instructions forced healthcare staff to allow clients to take SP at home. Need for investigating in improving adherence to IPTp administration was emphasised. High acceptability of the IPTp strategy at district level is meaningless unless necessary support is assured in terms of number, skills and motivation of caregivers and availability of essential supplies

Review of value and lean in complex product development

Approaches are being developed to improve complex product development from the perspective of value generation. However, the ideas and their relationships are still not fully articulated. We provide a structured literature review, with a primary but not exclusive focus on value ideas relating to lean in complex system product development. A framework organizes the concepts, methods, and their relationships. It clarifies the value delivery mechanism and could help to understand and thus improve value systems. Areas deserving further research attention are identified.We wish to thank the reviewers and editor for their valuable feedback, which helped to substantially improve early ver-sions of this articleThis is the accepted manuscript for a paper published in Systems Engineering Volume 18, Issue 2, pages 192–207, March 2015, DOI: 10.1002/sys.2129

GIS Project Management

There is a big gulf between GIScience as an academic endeavor and its application in the form of GIS project management in the real world. Project activities are complex because they rarely involve routine repetitive acts, but often require specific knowledge and skills to be used in their design, execution, and management. This article explains what project management is, its objectives, and the required ingredients from personnel to budgets, and the integration of the GIS project into the larger context of an organization’s and even societal culture

Cost overruns – helping to define what they really mean

Civil engineers are often in the firing line for alleged cost overruns, particularly on major publicly funded infrastructure projects. This usually occurs when the final cost of a project is simply compared with the original estimate, even though this was published a long time ago, in different circumstances and for a quite different project to the one carried out. This paper proposes a systematic approach to ensure that cost overruns, should they occur, are more accurately defined in terms of when the initial and end costs are assessed, from which point of view, at which project stage, and including scope changes and financial assumptions. The paper refers to the UK’s £163 billion nuclear decommissioning programme

Long-Lasting Control of Anopheles arabiensis by a Single Spray Application of Micro-encapsulated Pirimiphos-methyl (Actellic(R) 300 CS).

Pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes are an increasing threat to malaria vector control. The Global Plan for Insecticide Resistance Management (GPIRM) recommends rotation of non-pyrethroid insecticides for indoor residual spraying (IRS). The options from other classes are limited. The carbamate bendiocarb and the organophosphate pirimiphos-methyl (p-methyl) emulsifiable concentrate (EC) have a short residual duration of action, resulting in increased costs due to multiple spray cycles, and user fatigue. Encapsulation (CS) technology was used to extend the residual performance of p-methyl. Two novel p-methyl CS formulations were evaluated alongside the existing EC in laboratory bioassays and experimental hut trials in Tanzania between 2008-2010. Bioassays were carried out monthly on sprayed substrates of mud, concrete, plywood, and palm thatch to assess residual activity. Experimental huts were used to assess efficacy against wild free-flying Anopheles arabiensis, in terms of insecticide-induced mortality and blood-feeding inhibition. In laboratory bioassays of An. arabiensis and Culex quinquefasciatus both CS formulations produced high rates of mortality for significantly longer than the EC formulation on all substrates. On mud, the best performing CS killed >80% of An. arabiensis for five months and >50% for eight months, compared with one and two months, respectively, for the EC. In monthly bioassays of experimental hut walls the EC was ineffective shortly after spraying, while the best CS formulation killed more than 80% of An. arabiensis for five months on mud, and seven months on concrete. In experimental huts both CS and EC formulations killed high proportions of free-flying wild An. arabiensis for up to 12 months after spraying. There was no significant difference between treatments. All treatments provided considerable personal protection, with blood-feeding inhibition ranging from 9-49% over time. The long residual performance of p-methyl CS was consistent in bioassays and experimental huts. The CS outperformed the EC in laboratory and hut bioassays but the EC longevity in huts was unexpected. Long-lasting p-methyl CS formulations should be more effective than both p-methyl EC and bendiocarb considering a single spray could be sufficient for annual malaria control. IRS with p-methyl 300 CS is a timely addition to the limited portfolio of long-lasting residual insecticides