Dimensions of the Project Environment
For convenience, and working outwards, the project environment may be thought
of in terms of the project time environment, the internal project culture, the
original corporate culture, and the external social surroundings.
For those who have not had experience of a construction project "in the
trenches" so to speak, it is sometimes difficult to capture the feeling
of pressure, stress and ultimate satisfaction of a project well accomplished,
which the construction project management process offers. For the first timers,
many experience a bewilderment as to what is really happening around them. Yet,
most projects, if they are well run, exhibit some very typical but distinguishing
features as they run their course.
The Project Time Environment -æ Four Distinct Project Phases
A typical construction project life cycle is shown in Figure
1.
Figure 1: Project Life Cycle - Four Basic Phases
From the figure it will be seen that there are, or should be, four distinct
project periods which make up the typical life span of a well run project. These
phases are shown as
- Concept
- Planning
- Execution
- Transfer.
As an aid to memory, these phases may be readily recalled by the letters C-D-E-F
standing for: Conceive Develop Execute, and Finish.
Figure 1 also shows typical activities which are required
within each phase for building, say, a process facility. Of course, within each
phase a number of sub-phases or stages can be identified, which relate to the
typical construction project. But for our purposes, the four phases shown are
generic to any type of construction project, and serve to underline the vital
importance of progression from concept to planning, if the project is to be successfully
implemented.
Thus, these first two phases, often referred to as the feasibility and engineering
phases, are the opportunity to "build the project on paper", while
the third and fourth phases, which include preparing detailed drawings and specifications,
encompass the physical implementation of the project. Note particularly that
submission approvals are called for at the end of each of the first two phases,
and commissioning and completion approvals are typically required towards the
ends of the latter two phases. Thus, each phase is like a mini-project with its
own objectives and constraints. And so it should be seen to be, and conducted
accordingly.
The successful conclusion of each of the phases are major milestones, which
are really like "gates" between the phases, and which perform the function
of major "Executive Control Points". Some projects somehow manage to
slip through these gates without being in full compliance with project requirements
to that point. Inevitably, such projects find themselves being re-cycled back
to the earlier phase - to the detriment of the final project cost and schedule.
The Level-of-Effort Curve
Also of special significance is the variation in the level-of-effort (LoE),
which is associated with these project phases, and which is required to conduct
a project through its life cycle. The LoE curve represents the number of people
dedicated to the project on a full or part time basis. It will be seen from Figure 1
that, typically, the number of people involved rises steadily through the first
two phases, but increases dramatically in the execution phase.
It is at this time that difficulties of communication and coordination are
experienced, with consequent high levels of stress, and/or shortages of materials
and equipment, or other unnecessary delays. The success of the execution phase
is therefore highly dependent upon the quality of the planning in the prior planning
phase.
The finishing phase is equally dramatic - some might say traumatic. At the
peak, there must be a careful balancing act between maintaining full steam ahead
to accomplish all the work required, and being ready to cut the throttle as soon
as sufficient work is no longer accessible to maintain the productivity of those
on the project. A major lag in this decision frequently accounts for serious
cost overruns. Again, if the original planning has been in anyway inadequate,
changes at this point can have serious impacts on cost, schedule and the satisfaction
of the participants.
Failure to follow these simple steps, is a failure in managing the project
time environment.
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What
is the project environment?
