The making of a construction Project manager: a study of the existing practices against the ideal

Abstract

Construction Projects are executed for the Client and as the title means, managing the Project as a whole therefore refers to managing the Project for the Client. The Construction Industry is very different from other industries and it is resource based. The uniqueness of the Construction Product and the Process of Production presents great Challenges in Management. However, more Clients are accepting that to succeed in building, someone needs to take the responsibility for the overall management of the Construction Project. This is a very different function fro~ either design or construction on site and requires other different qualities that are not necessarily inherent in either of these two disciplines. The function of designing is still important, but its overall significance has been eclipsed by the very high management requirements generated by Today's circumstances. The demand for management functions has been increasing very rapidly and at a rate that the Construction Professionals have failed to appreciate and are not adequately meeting. Management ability is developed through interest, experience and training and Professionals must devote more attension to Management in order to respond to the increasing Management ;r _ . ~, - requirements of the Construction Industry. Construction Project Management has been seen as the overall Management of the Industry. The Manager other than being the most senior Person on the Design Team, is also the client's representative on the team. The fundamental concept on which project management is based is that a single individual is accountable for the whole project. However, Projects still have a tendancy to go wrong and overshoot their objectives - they are simply not managed well. The overall standard of Management in the Building and Construction field is in need of considerable improvements. his study aims at bringing the Solution closer Home and it attempts to evaluate the qualifications of the existing Project Manager.