Experience Of Project Team Research Articles

Exploring Unit Cost Performance for Water Infrastructure Delivery

Various delivery methods are used in the water industry for delivering treatment plant projects, which include the traditional design-bid-build (DBB) method as well as alternative project delivery methods (APDM), such as construction manager at risk (CMAR) and design-build (DB). Research has shown that APDM may improve water infrastructure project delivery performance when compared to DBB. However, utilizing an APDM does not guarantee a project’s successful delivery; other project variables also influence project delivery performance. The objective of this study is to develop exploratory mathematical models to investigate the impact of project-specific delivery factors and attributes on a water project’s success. The authors assess unit cost performance, which is a measure of a water treatment plant’s capacity in million gallons per day, over a project’s total cost. This study consisted of holding an industry expert workshop to review and develop a data collection questionnaire. Information on a total of 15 water treatment plant projects delivered in the US was collected and used to develop multiple linear regression models that explored project-specific key factors and attributes that impact unit cost performance. Results of the regression models revealed four critical variables: (1) use of GMP; (2) project team experience; (3) level of design completed before constructor engagement; and (4) project complexity, to have a statistically significant impact on the unit cost performance of water projects. The findings and contributions of this study can aid water stakeholders in understanding the unit cost performance impact of key project variables on their projects and support them in their project delivery method decisions.

Develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict construction projects performance in Syria

The purpose of this paper is to enable members of the construction project team to understand the factors which they must closely monitor to complete the project with the required performance. Therefore, the research aimed to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict construction project performance based on the above factors.A group of (34) factors that affect the performance of the project has been identified based on practitioners' opinions. ANN was designed to predict the project performance model using seven inputs that represent six factors that were prioritized as the most influencing factors. The model showed the factors that affect project performance as follows: Coordination and commitment of project parties (30.9%), Schedule estimate (25.4%), Project team experience and availability (24.5 %), and Support from senior management (14.3%).We concluded to design a model that predicts project performance based on previous influencing factors, as this model has a prediction accuracy of 96.1 % and an error of 3.9 %.

'It reshaped how I will do research': A qualitative exploration of team members' experiences with youth and family engagement in a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundEngaging youth and family members as active partners in research and service design offers great promise in improving projects. In youth mental health, recent research has highlighted the value of youth and family engagement. However, research on the experience and impacts of engagement is sparse.ObjectiveThis study explores the project team's experience of youth and family engagement in the design and development of the YouthCan IMPACT randomized controlled trial and clinical service pathway design.DesignQualitative data collected using semi‐structured interviews and a focus group as part of the YouthCan IMPACT clinical trial were analysed to understand the impacts of engagement. Twenty‐eight team members were interviewed, including youth and family members. A qualitative content analysis was conducted, with a member checking process.ResultsTeam members reported facilitators, barriers and impacts of youth and family engagement. Facilitators included a safe environment and strong procedures conducive to inclusion in co‐design. Barriers included logistical, structural and institutional constraints. Overall, team members found youth and family engagement to be valuable and to positively impact the research and service design process.Discussion and ConclusionsYouth and family engagement played a critical role in research and clinical service pathway design. The team found that their involvement improved the quality of the research and service pathway through sustained and multifaceted engagement. Facilitators and barriers to engagement may serve to guide future engagement initiatives. Future research should evaluate the long‐term impact of early engagement and further focus on family engagement.Patient/Public ContributionYouth and family members were engaged in the data analysis and interpretation process.

An evaluation of risk factors impacting project budget performance in New Zealand

PurposeThere has been a lack of research, particularly within the New Zealand (NZ) context, focusing on the identification and assessment of risk factors for construction projects, leading to a wide variation between design-phase elemental cost plans (ECPs) and the outturn tender sums (OTS). Still to be investigated is how risks interact to produce such variability. This study aims to determine the risk-influencing factors, identified through risk measurement, during design development.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted literature review and online questionnaire survey. The literature review was used to identify the factors affecting project budgetary performance, which was used to design the questionnaire survey culminating in data analysis. The questionnaire was administered to 64 practising project managers (PMs) in NZ. Their responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, mean ranking analysis, degree-of-risk measure and correlational analysis, to find the top-five risk factors impacting the variability observed, through ranking the mean and degree of risk values that produce such variability.FindingsSignificant risk factors were identified from the questionnaire survey analysis, such as changes in project owner/stakeholder requirements, experience of project team, site condition information, competency of consultants and information flow and quality. These provided some insights in explaining the variability between the design-phase ECPs and OTS based on risk impacts from PMs’ viewpoints.Research limitations/implicationsFindings revealed a drift of 23.86% in budgeted costs (inflated risks), which seems significant. Prioritising top risk factors may provide handy information for researchers on the variables that could be relied upon for the development of a forecasting model for application in NZ.Practical implicationsThe study findings have implications for PMs seeking to provide information on mitigation strategies by using risk management approach, considering the influence of development risks on building project delivery and, consequently the project owner’s financial position. To guard against wide variation between design-phase ECPs and OTS, the main contribution of this study is to raise consultants’ awareness of the important risk factors for their planning at the outset, thus assisting PMs in pro-actively managing their clients' budgets.Originality/valueThis study creates value by synthesising literature on construction project budgeting and highlighting areas for further research. By giving adequate attention to key risks associated with budget overruns in commercial projects, variability between ECPs and OTS, a common phenomenon in NZ, can be controlled to achieve cost savings. Based on this, further study suggests the development of a model that could assist the stakeholders in NZ to more reliably predict OTS from the design-phase ECP and pro-actively avoid unfortunate budget/cost overruns, disputes and even project abandonment.

Factors affecting the accuracy of cost estimate during various design stages

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify factors affecting cost estimate accuracy in each of five design stages preceding building construction: order of magnitude, conceptual/schematic, detailed design, construction document and bid phase. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using an online survey completed by 138 respondents who work in design consultancy firms in Jordan, including project managers, architects and quantity surveyors (QSs). Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Confirmatory interviews and case study comparisons were used to confirm the statistical analysis results. Findings The results of this study indicated that each design stage’s cost estimate was affected by several factors. Two significant factors were common across four of the five design stages: client experience and project team experience. In addition, a high level of agreement was observed among the project managers, architects and QSs regarding the factors affecting cost estimate accuracy. Originality/value Accurately estimating building construction costs during the design process has posed a challenge for designers and their clients in Jordan. Despite the care and effort involved in preparing cost estimates in each of the five design stages, deviations are commonly observed. Because the accuracy of building construction cost estimates directly affect the success or failure of a project, the results of this study can be used to reduce uncertainties in building construction cost estimation and subsequently increase the likelihood of project success

Evolving quality improvement support strategies to improve Plan–Do–Study–Act cycle fidelity: a retrospective mixed-methods study

BackgroundAlthough widely recommended as an effective approach to quality improvement (QI), the Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycle method can be challenging to use, and low fidelity of published accounts of the method...

METHOD FOR SELECTION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH BASED ON FUZZY CONCEPTS

Literature analysis of works that devoted to research of the selection a project management approach and development of effective methods for this problem solution is given. Mathematical model and method for selection of project management approach with fuzzy concepts of applicability of existing approaches are proposed. The selection is made of such approaches as the PMBOK Guide, the ISO21500 standard, the PRINCE2 methodology, the SWEBOK Guide, agile methodologies Scrum, XP, and Kanban. The number of project parameters which have a great impact on the result of the selection and measure of their impact is determined. Project parameters relate to information about the project, team, communication, critical project risks. They include the number of people involved in the project, the customer's experience with this project team, the project team's experience in this field, the project team's understanding of requirements, adapting ability, initiative, and others. The suggested method is considered on the example of its application for selection a project management approach to software development project.

Implementation Process of Project Control Systems and Performance of Rural Roads Construction Projects in Kenya: Role of Project Team Experience Diversity

Project managers have always endeavoured to effectively implement project controls systems during execution of projects to enhance rates of projects successes. However lack of understanding of the role of diversity of experiences among the workforce has hindered the ultimate performance of the project control systems in influencing the performance of construction projects. This paper sought to establish the extent to which project team experience diversity influence on the relationship between implementation process of project control systems and performance of rural roads construction projects in Kenya. The study adopted the pragmatism paradigm and the correlational survey research design. Descriptive statistics were analysed using frequencies, percentages, arithmetic mean and standard deviation while inferential statistics were analysed using Pearson’s Product Moment correlation (r), simple regression and stepwise regression (R2). Ftest was used to test the hypotheses. Tests of statistical assumptions were carried out before analysis. The results indicated that with r= 0.533, R2 = 0.284 F (1,195) = 77.208 at p=0.0000.05, the null hypothesis was failed to be rejected and therefore concluded that the significant relationship between implementation process of project control systems and performance of rural roads project does not depend on the interaction between implementation process of project control systems and project team experience diversity. It was therefore recommended that project team experience diversity among the professionals should be encouraged, communicated and shared for the common purpose of achieving high performance in projects.

Does Agile work? — A quantitative analysis of agile project success

The Agile project management methodology has been widely used in recent years as a means to counter the dangers of traditional, front-end planning methods that often lead to downstream development pathologies. Although numerous authors have pointed to the advantages of Agile, with its emphasis on individuals and interactions over processes, customer collaboration over contracts and formal negotiations, and responsiveness over rigid planning, there are, to date, very few large-scale, empirical studies to support the contention that Agile methods can improve the likelihood of project success. Developed originally for software development, it is still predominantly an IT phenomenon. But due to its success it has now spread to non-IT projects. Using a data sample of 1002 projects across multiple industries and countries, we tested the effect of Agile use in organizations on two dimensions of project success: efficiency and overall stakeholder satisfaction against organizational goals. We further examined the moderating effects of variables such as perceived quality of the vision/goals of the project, project complexity, and project team experience. Our findings suggest that Agile methods do have a positive impact on both dimensions of project success. Further, the quality of the vision/goals is a marginally significant moderator of this effect. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Finding Factors Impacting Productivity in Software Development Project Using Structured Equation Modelling

The size of international software industry is over $1000bn. Total revenue earned by the Indian software industry in year 2005 was $30bn and which is expected to grow. The price quoted by vendors to its customers and the rate of the customer service is dependent on the productivity of the project. Given the fact that software development complexity is on an ever-increasing curve, it becomes critical to tackle the issues that influence the productivity levels of the project teams involved. Identification of factors as either aiding or hindering productivity enables management to take steps to encourage the positive influences and to eliminate the negative ones. Hence it is important to understand the factors affecting productivity and how these factors affect productivity when they are present in tandem. Hence this report aims to develop a model using structured equation modelling to find important factors affecting productivity and their impact on productivity. This paper is a further improvement on the paper “Maximizing Productivity by Controlling Influencing Factors and Commercial Software Development”, by Mohapatra, S. The authors expect to come out with a ready model for productivity which can help any software development team in allocating resources to achieve maximum output. The Methodology used for this primary research is collection of data from project and delivery managers across three Indian IT majors and analysing that data employing SEM using a computer aided tool. Results showed that the best fit model consisting of important factors like experience of project team in technology and domain, training for the technology platform to be worked on and domain of work, client support and various other software testing tools availability helps in increasing productivity.

Work‐life balance: an exploratory study of supports and barriers in a construction project

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore employees' perceptions of work‐life balance (WLB) in an Australian infrastructure construction project, using semi‐structured focus groups.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 43 employees participated in the focus groups, representing 50 per cent of the project workforce at the time. Focus groups explored employees' experiences of WLB during the planning and design stage of the project, as well as their expectations for the management of WLB during the construction phase.FindingsProject culture, project resourcing and the schedule demands of the construction stage of the project were identified as barriers for WLB, while participants believed that the “project alliance” delivery model, flexibility of working hours and the project management team's support for WLB would facilitate WLB in the project.Research limitations/implicationsData were collected from one case study project which utilised an alliance delivery model. Therefore, the results cannot be generalised to the construction industry as a whole or to construction projects utilising an alliance delivery model. Data were collected from professional and white collar workers therefore the results cannot be generalised to blue collar workers. The research findings suggest new directions for future research in WLB related to project settings.Practical implicationsThe study will provide project managers with a better understanding of work‐life experiences of project teams and highlight the barriers and facilitating factors for WLB.Originality/valueWLB has been widely investigated in static work settings, however it is not well understood how research findings translate to project settings as little research has been conducted in this area.

Scaffolding project-based learning with the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK ®)

This paper reports the results of a study of the extent to which processes and procedures from the discipline of project management can scaffold online project-based learning in a graduate-level instructional technology course, by facilitating intra-team interaction, enhancing project outcomes and promoting a positive project team experience. With one course section using tools and templates from project management and one section using only free-form text forms and instructor guidelines as project scaffolding tools, team interactions were compared via qualitative and quantitative analyses of team threaded discussions over an 8-week project lifecycle. Project outcomes were assessed by comparing project product scores using the t-test for independent samples, while project experience was assessed via a post-project survey using the University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) questionnaire. Results indicate that the project management methodology facilitates intra-team communication and positive collaborative behavior, but is not a critical factor for final product quality. The results provide a starting point for educators and researchers seeking to assess cross-disciplinary approaches to project-based learning.

Setting up a university digital repository: experience with DigiTool

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how the DigiTool software has been used to create a university digital repository.Design/methodology/approachThe paper outlines the project team's experience of using the DigiTool software and evaluates its potential for the creation of academic digital libraries.FindingsThe initial trials and first live projects demonstrate that DigiTool is a proprietary software solution with all the capabilities required to create an open access digital repository. The test work described in this paper will contribute to future enhancements to the software.Practical applicationsThe paper will be of interest to project managers involved in the evaluation and selection of digital library softwareOriginality/valueDigiTool is relatively new to the UK market and this is a report of the first UK digital repository created using it.