High-performance Project Research Articles

Effect of Beneficiary Participation on Project Performance: A Case of an HIV Peer Education Project in Gicumbi District, Rwanda

The HIV/AIDS pandemic remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the prevalence rates are among the highest in the world. This study investigated the impact of beneficiary participation on the performance of an HIV peer education program implemented by the Rwanda Network of People Living with HIV (RRP+) in Gicumbi District from 2017 to 2020. Researchers examined three specific areas: project planning, implementation, and monitoring. Stakeholder and Engagement Theory alongside Participation Theory were reviewed. The study adopted a descriptive research design with qualitative and quantitative approaches. The total study population for this research was be 3,938 that included Recipients of Care (RoC) and stakeholders directly involved in the HIV peer education project implemented by the Rwanda Network of People Living with HIV (RRP+) in Gicumbi District, Rwanda, from 2017 to 2020. A mixed sampling approach was employed to select participants for this research. This approach involves a combination of probability and non-probability sampling methods. Therefore, the sample size calculated using the Yamane formula was 387 Recipients of Care (RoC) and stakeholders. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Findings indicated significant beneficiary involvement in strategic planning and annual plans, with mean scores of 3.78 and 3.50, respectively, on a 1-4 scale. Moderate familiarity with the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) (average 3.22) was observed. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant positive impact on Project Performance (p < 0.05). Beneficiaries reported satisfactory healthcare and psychosocial support (mean score 0.99) and moderate satisfaction with supportive supervision (mean score 1.62). Capacity-building (average 1.02) showed room for improvement, yet still had a significant positive influence on Project Performance (p < 0.05). Limited involvement in monitoring (mean score 1.04) was observed, with high satisfaction in feedback meetings (mean score 4.15). Feedback acceptability (average 3.42) indicated moderate acceptability, also positively impacting Project Performance (p < 0.05). The positive unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.398 indicate that increased healthcare and psychosocial support are associated with higher project performance. The positive unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.026 suggest that supportive supervision has a relatively positive relationship with project performance. The positive unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.293 highlight the importance of training beneficiaries during project implementation. The study recommended foster greater beneficiary involvement in project planning by conducting regular consultations, workshops, and feedback sessions. Review and refine the supportive supervision approach to address the varying levels of satisfaction among beneficiaries. Maintain regular and productive feedback meetings to capture beneficiary input and concerns. Enhance feedback collection and analysis processes to ensure feedback is incorporated into project activities effectively. Form a strengthened system of monitoring and evaluation in order to consistently evaluate performance of project as well as adapt to evolving requirements of the beneficiary. Additionally, formulate models of sustainability to ascertain that favorable and positive impacts of the project are preserved after its overall completion.

The concepts of buildability / constructability in project development

The construction industry represents in the economies of the countries the increase of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), being fragmented in a wide range of activities, where it is necessary to reconcile their interests of survival, in a competitive environment, whose productivity must be maintained at a high level, complying with the requirements of the market, which expects quality products. The incompatibilities between the project and the execution of the work cause problems that have a decisive impact on some aspects, such as quality and the increase in costs for the production of buildings. Research aimed at reducing such conflicts has been devoted to the term buildability, as an attribute of design that brings benefits to the constructive process when its concepts are adopted in the early stages of the project. Two actions have been outlined as addressing this issue, one aimed at the management of knowledge about the theme within companies, and another with a didactic character that suggests integrating it into the curriculum of engineering and architecture courses. This article through a bibliographic survey identified existing research on the theme, presenting concepts that can guide the development of high-performance projects.

The treated recycled aggregates effects on workability, mechanical properties and microstructure of ultra-high performance concrete Co-reinforced with nano-silica and steel fibers

To promote the application of recycled aggregates (RA) in more high-performance engineering projects, it is necessary to scientifically modify and repair the RA, which is originally damaged by mechanical crushing and contains cracks and pores. This study investigates the influence of modified RA on the workability, mechanical properties, and microstructure of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). Fresh state characteristic tests (slump and flowability), hardened mechanical property tests (compressive, axial tensile, elastic modulus, and four-point bending), and analysis of microstructure (SEM images and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were performed on specimens with different modifications of RA. The results showed that after three different modifications (hydrochloric acid washing, cement slurry coating, and chemical strengthening) of RA, the apparent density increased and water absorption decreased. This resulted in improved workability and fluidity of the specimens containing modified RA, with increased compressive strength and elastic modulus by 15%, as well as enhanced bending performance indicators (flexural strength, toughness, and residual strength), while the axial tensile strength was not lower than that of specimens containing natural aggregates. Additionally, SEM analysis examined the pores between the cement matrix, interface transition zone (ITZ), and fibers, and how they were improved. The specimens with modified RA had a complete and continuous ITZ, with more thorough hydration reactions and better interface bonding. NMR analysis revealed a distinct "three-peak" structure in the T2 spectrum and showed the evolution of four types of pores in the microstructure, including an increase in the number of small pores and a decrease in the number of large and medium pores and microcracks. These research findings provide new insights into the application of modified RA and serve as a reference for the use of a suitable amount of modified RA in crack-resistant or other high-demand engineering projects.

How cultural diversity affects communication and collaboration within global high-performance project teams?

Cultural dimensions and social behavior play a critical role in the success of a project team. Project managers must be aware of these factors and create an environment that fosters effective collaboration and trust. Tuckman’s model for group development consists of five stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. A lack of trust among team members can prevent a team from becoming a high-performance team. Research has shown a correlation between high-performance teams and GLOBE’s cultural dimensions. GLOBE, short for "Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness," is a large-scale research program that explores cultural variations in leadership and organizational behavior. The cultural context and its impact on team dynamics can help organizations create more effective and high-performing teams. Trust is a key component of team performance and can lead to improved communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. In the oil and gas sector, multidisciplinary projects often involve complex engineering and technical challenges, so it is essential to have a team that is skilled, experienced, and focused on project success. The goal of this research is to investigate the influence of cultural dimensions and social behavior on project team success and to explore the role of trust in fostering effective collaboration and creating a high-performance team. The research approach employed in this study was secondary data analysis, utilizing existing data to address the research questions.This study found that cultural dimensions and social behavior significantly influence project team success. Trust plays a key role, and Tuckman’s model highlights its importance for high-performance teams. Overall, the results of this study provide insights and guidance for organizations to navigate cultural diversity, build trust, and enhance team performance. Implementing these findings can lead to improved project outcomes, stronger collaboration, and increased organizational effectiveness in various industries and sectors. However, a systematic review of recent literature on cultural diversity and global team performance is lacking, which highlights the need for further research in this area.

Quantification Method of Mass Transfer Resistance in Cathode Catalyst Layer in PEFC

IntroductionTo spread PEFCs, it is important to optimize the cathode catalyst layer (CCL) because the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in CCL is sluggish. Our previous study proposed that the mass transfer resistance in the through-plane direction in CCL can be quantified by measuring ORR rate dependency on oxygen partial pressure, effective oxygen diffusion coefficient, ORR rate constant, or CCL thickness[1]. In this study, dependency of the polarization curve on the oxygen partial pressure was measured with commercial supported-platinum catalysts at fixed RH and temperature. The objective of this study is to establish the quantification methods of mass transfer resistances in CCL.TheoryIn our previous study[2, 3], the current density, i is expressed as i = 4F δ (C) k vcm p Oc F e [A/m2], (1)where δ (C) is the cathode catalyst layer (CCL) thickness, k vc is the reaction rate constant per unit volume of CCL [mol/(Pa·m3·s)] which does not include through-plane mass transport resistance. p O is the oxygen partial pressure [Pa]. The subscripts m and c denote PEM–CCL boundary and CCL–gas diffusion layer boundary, respectively. F e is the effectiveness factor, a function of the following 4 dimensionless moduli, M Om , M pm , P Om , and y Oc . F e is defined as the ratio of the observed reaction rate to the reaction rate which does not have the influence of through-plane mass transfer resistance. M Om denotes the ratio of O2 diffusion resistance to the reaction resistance. M pm denotes the ratio of proton transfer resistance to the reaction resistance. P Om is defined as the ratio of O2 diffusion resistance to the convection resistance. y Oc denotes the oxygen mole fraction. Definitions of the dimensionless four moduli are expressed as M Om =δ (C) (k vcm RT/D eO)0.5, (2) M pm = δ (C) (4F k vcm RT/(σ ep b c))0.5, (3) P Om = δ (C) N gm /(C g D eO), (4) y Oc = p Oc /P, (5)where R, T, σ ep, N gm and P denotes the gas constant [J/(mol K)], cell temperature [K], effective proton conductivity [S/m], total gas flux [mol/(m2 s)] and total pressure [Pa], respectively. When the cathode emf at the PEM–CCL boundary, E cm , T, and relative humidity (RH) are fixed, M Om is fixed. F e and M pm are proportional to i/p Oc and p Oc 0.5, respectively. The relationship between F e and M pm shown in Fig. 1 corresponds to that between i/p Oc and p Oc 0.5. Thus, F e and M pm can be determined just by fitting experimental data of i/p Oc plotted against p Oc 0.5 to the theoretical curves.Results and DiscussionPolarization curves shown in Fig. 2 were measured at 80 °C and 0.77 of inlet RH at varied p Oc . As expected from Eq. (1), current densities at a fixed E cm increases when p Oc increases. The current densities at the fixed E cm are plotted against p Oc as shown in Fig. 3. The current density is sublinear against p Oc . This is because M pm expressed in Eq. (3) increased when p Oc is higher. The ORR rate is lower than the value expected from the Tafel equation when mass transfer resistance increases.The dimensionless moduli were determined by fitting the theoretical relationship to the measured i/p Oc vs. p Oc 0.5 graph. From the determined dimensionless moduli, the ORR rate and mass transport parameters, k vc⊕, D eO and σ ep were also obtained and these values are shown in Table 1 with values in literature[4, 5].Effective proton conductivity, σ ep is relatively low compared with values in literature. This resulted from an experimental error in the current density at p Oc of 16 kPa. Lowering the current density at high p Oc leads to decrease in σ ep because M pm increases when p Oc is raised. By extensively measuring the polarization curves dependency on p Oc , the ORR rate parameters and mass transport parameters can be determined more accurately. Recalculated results using the obtained mass transport parameters are shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The recalculated results appropriately reproduced the ORR rate dependency on E cm and p Oc .ConclusionsThe through-plane mass transfer resistance in CCL was quantified by measuring the ORR rate dependency on the oxygen partial pressure. From the determined dimensionless moduli, mass transport parameters were obtained. Recalculated results appropriately reproduced the ORR rate dependency on cathode emf and oxygen partial pressure.AcknowledgementThis work was supported by the FC-Platform Program: Development of design-for-purpose numerical simulators for attaining long life and high performance project (FY 2020–2023) conducted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan. Figure 1

Dimensionless Moduli Governing Under-Rib Transport Phenomenon in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

Introduction The performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) can be considerably improved by promoting the under-rib convection or cross flow between adjacent gas channels, e.g., applying the serpentine and staggered partially narrowed flow fields[1]. Although a lot of efforts have been devoted to analyze the under-rib transport phenomenon, an analytical model which quantitively demonstrates the dominant factors of the under-rib processes has not been established. In this study, a theoretical analysis of the relations between oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and mass transfer capacity is carried out. The dimensionless moduli which combine physical properties, flow field dimensions and operating conditions are derived, which provides a theory for optimization of flow field and operating condition design for PEFC. Theoretical Analysis The water is assumed to only exist in vapor phase in a steady-state isothermal cell. The gas diffusion layer (GDL) is considered as uniform porous medium, in which Darcy’s law is applicable. The even velocity and oxygen mass fraction profiles in through-plane direction inside GDL is considered. The ORR was experimentally proven as a first order reaction of oxygen partial pressure according to our previous study,[2] and is regarded as a surface reaction, so that the oxygen consumption rate can be expressed as Eq. (1). The ORR rate constant, which is the function of the cathode overpotential or electromotive force, is assumed to be fixed across the rib.The theoretical model was derived from one-dimensioned mass balance of oxygen, which exhibits that the under-rib process is dominated by 3 dimensionless moduli, Péclet number Pe, Thiele number φ and the ratio of oxygen mass fractions θ at two sides of the under-rib GDL, which were defined by Eqs. (2)–(4). Péclet number represents the ratio of oxygen convection rate to oxygen diffusion rate, which is determined by the pressure difference between adjacent channels. Thiele number represents the ratio of oxygen diffusion resistance to reaction resistance. The average oxygen mass fraction can thus be calculated from Eq. (5). Results and Discussion The theoretical model was compared with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation in the computational domain shown in Fig. 1, where the GDL was placed between two parallel gas channels, instead of being laid under the gas channel, and the active area was only located under the rib. In the CFD simulation, the velocity and pressure distributions were calculated by solving Navier-Stokes equations, and the component distribution dependencies on density, diffusivity and viscosity were also considered. Fig. 2 shows the under-rib average current density at different geometries and operating conditions. The dimensionless moduli calculated from the inlet conditions offer an accurate current density prediction, which demonstrates these moduli dominate the under-rib transport phenomenon.The typical operating condition gives φ = 1.5 and Pe = 4, where the model provides the average current density with high confidence. The model provides lower oxygen mass fraction than the CFD results especially in case of θ = 1, which exists in the staggered partially narrowed flow field. The reason can be attributed to the interface between gas channel and GDL, where the low velocity cannot eliminate the mass transport resistance, so that the model overestimated the oxygen mass fraction at rib boundaries, as shown in Fig. 3.The effects of dimensionless moduli on the current density are exhibited in Fig. 4. In case of θ = 1, when Pe is lower than 5, the under-rib convection cannot obviously boost the under-rib oxygen concentration, which was also reported in our previous study[1]. On the other hand, in case of θ< 1 and Pe > 0, although little increase on Pe remarkably improves the under-rib mass transfer which explains the good performance of serpentine flow field, the benefits from the under-rib convection reduces when Pe is high. Additionally, since oxygen cannot be supplied sufficiently from the gas channel, higher φ gives lower under-rib oxygen concentration. Conclusions The theoretical model for describing the under-rib transport phenomenon was established and verified by CFD calculation, which was found to be dominated by 3 dimensionless moduli. The model demonstrates that the Péclet number is required to be large enough in partially narrowed flow fields to maximize the profits from the under-rib convection. Acknowledgment This work was supported by the FC-Platform Program: Development of design-for-purpose numerical simulators for attaining long life and high performance project (FY 2020–FY 2023) conducted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan. Reference [1] Y. Ma et al., ECS Trans., 109 (9), 171–197 (2022).[2] M. Kawase et al., ECS Trans., 75(14), 147–156 (2016). Figure 1

Hydrogen and Oxygen Permeability through PEFC Membrane and Membrane Electrode Assembly

IntroductionThe permeation of feed gas through a proton exchange membrane (PEM) affects a PEFC performance [1, 2]. The temperature and relative humidity (RH) dependences of the hydrogen and oxygen permeability through the perfluorinated sulfonic-acid (PFSA) membrane were investigated. A membrane is considered to consist of a bulk layer sandwiched between skin layers [3]. In this study, by measuring the hydrogen and oxygen permeation flux through a membrane and plotting the permeation resistance against the membrane thickness, the bulk layer effective diffusion coefficients and the skin layer mass transport coefficients of PEM and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) were examined.ExperimentalNafion™ NR-211, NR-212, and N115 (Chemours) with different thickness (at RH of 50 %), 25.8, 51, and 127 μm, respectively, were used as PEM. Catalyst layers made of Pt-loaded carbon (Pt 50 wt%) and Nafion ionomer (I/C = 1.0) with a thickness of 8.5-10 μm on both sides of PEMs were prepared as MEA. They were installed separately in a Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI) standard cell whose active area was 5.0 cm×5.0 cm. The cell was placed in the constant temperature and humidity oven (ESPEC, LHL-113) and the relative humidity of the supplied gas was controlled by the bubbler temperature. The hydrogen and oxygen fluxes through a membrane were measured at cell temperatures of 60-90 °C and RH of 0.2-1.0 (moisture content λ = 1.7-10.5) with different partial pressures of nitrogen diluent gas. Permeate gas was quantified by a gas chromatograph (Agilent 990 micro GC, column: MSieve5A, detector: TCD). The schematic drawing of the measurement system is shown in Fig. 1.Results and discussionThe permeate gas flux through a membrane, Nj (j = H, O), is expressed asNj = k pj Δpj , where k pj is the gas permeance and Δpj is the partial pressure difference between the supply side and the permeate side.Fig. 2 shows the temperature and RH dependences of O2 permeance through PEM and Fig. 3 shows the permeation resistance against the membrane thickness. k pO increases with increasing RH and 1/k pj becomes lower at higher temperature. The permeation resistance through MEA tends to be lower than PEM. By assuming that Nafion has a bulk layer and skin layers [3], the bulk layer and skin layer resistances were separated from a slope and an intercept of trend lines in Fig. 3. The permeation resistances through MEA do not have y-axis intercept. The fused layer can be created by hot press process in manufacturing MEA and an x-axis intercept might be a fused layer thickness. It is easier to permeate gas through the fused layer than the skin layer of PEM. The temperature dependences of the bulk layer effective diffusion coefficient, D ej (B), are shown in Fig. 4. D eH (B) and D eO (B) of PEM and MEA are on the same line, with activation energies, E a, of 23.9 and 20.6 kJ/mol, respectively at λ = 6. D ej (B) can be formulated as follows: D eH (B) = (4.26×10-11 + 6.50×10-11RH) exp(-E aH/R (1/T-1/T ref)) m2/s D eO (B) = (8.16×10-12 + 3.39×10-11RH) exp(-E aO/R (1/T-1/T ref)) m2/s T ref = 353.15 K, E aH = 0.65 λ + 20.0 kJ/mol, E aO = 21.2 kJ/mol,Reproduced D eH (B) and D eO (B) are shown in Fig. 5. The skin layer mass transport coefficient, k pj (S), can be obtained from the y-axis intercept of a trend line in Fig. 4 and it shows that only PEM has skin layers. It is necessary to consider the gas permeation through MEA not through PEM in designing PEFCs because using the transport properties through PEM may lead to overestimate the performance.ConclusionsBy measuring the hydrogen and oxygen permeation flux through PEM and MEA in PEFC, the bulk layer effective diffusion coefficients and the skin layer mass transport coefficients of hydrogen and oxygen were obtained. The bulk layer effective diffusion coefficients of PEM and MEA were found to be the same and the temperature and RH dependences of D ej (B) were formulated as a function of temperature and RH. The skin layer mass transport coefficient appears only in PEM.AcknowledgementThis work was supported by the FC Platform Program: Development of design-for-purpose numerical simulators for attaining long life and high-performance project (FY 2020–FY 2023) conducted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan.

Predicting low-performance government-sponsored R&D project: comprehensive framework and machine learning approach

ABSTRACT In response to the Korean R&D paradox, which has intensified during the post-global financial crisis, it would be critical to seek ways to improve the economic outcomes of R&D projects. In this context, this study aims to propose a framework and methodology to predict low-performance R&D projects. We considered various factors affecting the project's success, including funding, technological, environmental, organisational, and initial valuation factors. Our framework was applied to 797 R&D projects, introducing a novel BU ratio as a performance evaluation metric together with an F1 score. Then, the results of three machine learning algorithms were compared, and the XGBoost algorithm showed the best performance for predicting low-performance R&D projects. This study gained insight into the behaviour of the selected models through the SHAP value. Government funding, in terms of ratio and amount, was revealed as the most dominant feature in predicting performance groups. Organisational factors were crucial for high-performance projects, whereas funding factors dominantly affected low-performance projects. Our analytical framework and findings will contribute to academic knowledge, as no research has yet explored this. Moreover, this study will provide practical implications for funding agencies to proactively manage low-performance R&D projects and improve their economic success.

High-Performance Project Teams: Analysis from the Stoic Approach

Nowadays, any consideration regarding project management implies an all-encompassing approach constituted by three perspectives: organizational, human, and engineering. In this sense, it is necessary for the project manager to reflect on various issues, such as ethics, the understanding of the environment, leadership, teamwork, achieving results, change in management, the adoption of new technologies, and knowledge management, among many others, all this with the intention of ensuring success through value creation, consistent and aligned with the expectations of the different stakeholders. Because of the adoption of a comprehensive vision of project management, disciplines such as philosophy have become logical within the reasoning of organizational management. Classic postulates such as those of the Stoic school have become references for modern leader-managers because of their approach associated with personal development, self-discipline, self-control, logic, balance with the environment, and the creation of social value. The research analyzed how the postulates of the Stoic philosophy can determine the high performance of project teams. To achieve this, 70 project managers from different small and medium enterprises (SMEs) located in Bogotá, Colombia, were surveyed about the seven main thoughts of Stoicism and the possible relationship with the performance of their project teams. Based on their answers, a correlational model of structural equations was applied to obtain the conclusions of this study. The results obtained in this investigation are intended to contribute significantly to the maturity and modernization of the project management discipline.

Green Building success factors: An exploratory inquiry

Green Building (GB) projects are being developed to address the socio-environmental issues of building construction and operation. The successful development of GBs is subject to a multitude of enabling conditions known as success factors, and their understanding can help render high project performance in GBs. Past studies have mainly aimed at explaining the significance of success factors for different building types. Also, there is a general lack of attention towards the identification of GB success factors. Associations among success factors also remain unaddressed. In contrast with previous research, this study employs an exploratory research design. Semi-structured interviews across six regions are conducted with 75 GB experts. The data analysis has resulted in 73 success factors and 82 sub-factors among which 40% of the factors have not been studied before. A network of success factors is developed where associations among success factors explain the reasons of their significance. The robustness of network is tested by progressive elimination of success factors from the network. This analysis helped identify success factors with critical significance in the network, which include ‘Educating project team about GB development’, ‘Proficiency of project client’, ‘Proficiency of project team’, ‘Project team collaboration’, ‘Alignment of team interest with project interest’, ‘Early engagement of project team’, ‘Project team motivation to achieve sustainable outcomes’, ‘Client’s motivation to achieve sustainable outcomes’, ‘End-users’ operation of building in sustainable ways’, ‘Early introduction of project targets’, and ‘Rigor of project design development’. The network robustness analysis has also emphasized the need of considering success factors collectively, rather than individually. The identified success factors and their associations resulting from this study can contribute to both the theory and practice of GB project development.

Influence of Project Resources Management and Performance of Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP) Rwanda

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of project resources management on the performance of the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP) in Rwanda. The study had three specific objectives: to determine the impact of human resource management, to establish the influence of financial resource management, and to assess the effect of access to physical resource management on SAIP performance. The study was grounded in the theories of resource dependence and resource-based theory, providing a solid foundation for the investigation into the relationship between project resources management and SAIP performance. The study utilized both descriptive and inferential research designs. Descriptive research was employed to describe project resources management and project performance, while inferential statistics, including correlation and multiple linear regressions, were used to analyze the relationship between project resources management and SAIP project performance. The target population consisted of 1124 employees of the SAIP project, with a sample size of approximately 92 employees determined using Yamane's formula. Convenience sampling was used to select the sample. Data collection involved self-administered questionnaires and an interview with the project manager. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis, and the results were presented in a narrative format. The results revealed a significant positive effect of human resources on SAIP project performance, with β1 = 0.404, p-value = 0.000 &lt; 0.05, t = 7.127. This implies that increasing human resources by one unit leads to a 0.404 unit increase in SAIP project performance. Similarly, financial resources were found to have a significant positive effect on SAIP project performance, with β2 = 0.284, p-value = 0.000 &lt; 0.05, t = 4.821. Increasing financial resources by one unit results in a 0.181 unit increase in project performance. Additionally, physical resources were found to have a significant positive effect on SAIP project performance, with β3 = 0.106, p-value = 0.043 &lt; 0.05, t = 2.041. Increasing physical resources by one unit leads to a 0.395 unit increase in project performance. The overall view of respondents regarding the performance of the SAIP project was highly positive, with a mean score of 4.29 and a standard deviation of 1.16, providing strong evidence of high project performance. The study concluded that efficient management of project resources, including human, financial, and physical resources, greatly influences project performance in terms of timely completion, reduced costs, satisfaction of project beneficiaries, and improved project deliverables. The study recommends that SAIP projects prioritize training programs to enhance the performance of human resources. Additionally, effective financial resources management, careful monitoring of costs, accurate estimation of project costs based on execution conditions, and special attention to project materials management are crucial. Developing a comprehensive project schedule and implementing regular checks and controls are also recommended to ensure timely completion and proactive management of deviations. Keywords: Project Resources Management, human resources management, financial resources management, physical resources management, SAIP, Rwanda

Defining the Success Status of Construction Projects Based on Quantitative Performance Metrics Thresholds

Despite the high spending and high employment, the construction industry struggles to agree how to go about project performance assessment and what constitutes a successful project. This does not allow stakeholders to address the issues in and drawbacks of their respective projects. Hence, this research outlines performance metrics upper limits, which can be used in defining a successful project. Data were collected from Construction Industry Institute (CII) members and multiple construction firms through University of Wisconsin–Madison active research projects. Two classification and regression tree (CART) models were developed using 4-fold randomized cross-validation to provide the metrics thresholds of success with a classification accuracy of 81% and 85%, respectively. CART models revealed that a successful project can be defined as having construction schedule growth less than 10.4%, construction cost growth less than 9.8%, requests for information (RFIs) per $million less than or equal to 8.6, and RFI processing time less than or equal to 7 days. Additional thresholds showed that a high-performing successful project would have a change orders per $million of less than 0.39 and rework of less than 1.5%. These thresholds can serve as a step toward a quantitative definition of success by translating qualitative success status into quantitative success status. Additionally, the established thresholds can be used as benchmarks for acceptable construction performance, which can then be adopted as risk thresholds or tolerances during project planning.

Modeling the Capabilities of High-Performing Project Management Offices in General Contracting Companies

The contemporary literature emphasizes a need to delve into how project management offices (PMOs) can be effectively operated in construction organizations by embedding integrated project management rather than relying on stand-alone project controls. However, capabilities for running high-performing PMOs in this complex industry are still unknown to this growing body of knowledge, which is considered a barrier to the realization of their full potential. To address this gap, the current research explores a factor structure for core capabilities using a cross-validation method with survey data from 395 experts in general contracting organizations. The results revealed that the five-factor measurement model encompasses constructs of competent human resources and supportive culture, strategic alignment, delivery support, knowledge management, and leveraging organizational capabilities. This study extends the current literature by establishing a new measurement model explaining the dimensionality of PMO capabilities.

Формування високопродуктивних проєктних команд

The aim of the article is to develop recommendations for the formation and development of highly productive project teams through the implementation of an effective motivational influence on their participants and the creation of a favorable project environment. In spite of difficult living conditions, Ukrainian entrepreneurs can ensure an effective operation of a company through the implementation of projects that allow to proactively influence the needs of society and ensure rapid adaptation to changes in the environment. The successful implementation of one’s own ideas through the implementation of projects significantly depends on the professional application of project management tools and on the effective work of the project team. The article examines the importance of transforming a group of people involved in the implementation of a project into a highly productive team. It is noted that one of the key points in the formation and management of high-performance project teams is the motivation of team members, since the success of the entire project will significantly depend on the level of interest of the participants in the implementation of the tasks. The interpretation of the concept of «motivation» is considered and the definition of motivation in the management of project teams is proposed. It is proved that in order to form a high-performing team, it is important to establish effective relationships between the project manager and all members, as well as to build an open communication environment within the team. It is important for a project manager to find individual motivation factors for each team member, to understand their needs and values in order to develop an effective motivation system. Factors that can be valuable for team members are highlighted. The article also proposes methods of motivation of team members, which a project manager, taking into account an individual approach, can use in order to form and develop high-performance teams. The factors that will contribute to the creation of a favorable environment that will allow teams to maximize the potential of each member are allocated. Active communication with each team member, effective motivational influence in accordance with the motivation factors of each participant and the creation of a favorable project environment will allow the project manager to form a high-performance team that will ensure the successful implementation of the particular project.

Enhancing Team Skills as a Project Management Strategy

Project management has become more difficult due to shifting consumer demands and technical development. Recognizing the benefits of high-performing project teams in delivering effective project outcomes is critical. This research examines the advantages of enhancing team skills in industries where people collaborate to achieve common goals. A thorough analysis of the research on project management strategies, team dynamics, and skill development was carried out. Additionally, empirical data was gathered through surveys and interviews with influential businesses' senior executives. The study showed a significant link between team skills and project performance. The statistical analysis of the survey data supported the premise that investing in team skill development significantly adds to project performance. The findings clarify that improving team skills should be regarded as a core project management technique. Team skills is essential for departments and cross-functional teams to perform effectively in businesses of all sizes. Organizations can foster a culture of continuous improvement, flexibility, and innovation by implementing various strategies such as training workshops and agile project management techniques. According to the study, prioritizing team skill development is crucial for maintaining a competitive advantage and effectively navigating the always-changing problems in businesses. Industry stakeholders should understand the need for technical proficiency and soft skills within project teams as project complexity rises. By enhancing team skills, project managers can optimize project delivery, risk mitigation, and long-term success in the industries. This study contends for a paradigm change in project management techniques, highlighting the value of team skills as a critical differentiator for the expansion and success of organizations.

The Impact of Soiling on PV Module Performance in Saudi Arabia

Solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment is rapidly expanding around the world. However, the soiling factor has an impact on its performance. Saudi Arabia has high solar irradiation and plans to diversify its energy mix for electricity generation by deploying more solar PV across the country. However, it is located in an arid and desert environment, making it a challenging project due to dust accumulation on solar modules. The soiling and PV performance in Saudi Arabia are examined in this paper. Furthermore, it highlights several mitigation techniques that can be used to maintain PV performance through preventive and restorative measures. Furthermore, this study looks into the size and characterization of dust in Saudi Arabia, as well as the entire life cycle of dust accumulation on PV modules. In this review study, the performance of solar PV systems is evaluated under soiling in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Depending on the local environment and other factors, the PV performance has been reduced by somewhere between 2% and 50%. A single sandstorm reduced the module power output by 20%. As revealed in Dhahran, the PV module was exposed to an outdoor environment and not cleaned for 6 months resulting in a power drop of more than 50%. It is strongly advised to clean PV panels once a month or fewer to maintain a high-performance system. However, in the event of a dust storm, it is advised to clean the system immediately to avoid a major decline in PV performance. The bi-facial PV solar panels technology associated with solar trackers and utilizing robotic cleaning systems have maximized the received solar irradiation and minimized the soiling loss efficiently. The most common elements found in dust particles are primarily derived from the natural desert. It has been noted that the composition and sizes of dust particles depend heavily on the location of the PV module. It is concluded that dust accumulation and cleaning costs are not a significant barrier to large-scale, cost-effective solar PV deployments in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the central region, which is considered a high-suitable region for utility-size PV plants due to many factors. The results of this study are essential for enlightening the PV engineering community, investors, and the research community about how soiling may affect regions with significant solar potential, such as Saudi Arabia, and what potential soiling mitigation strategies may be considered to maintain high-performance solar PV projects.

Effect of Staff Competence on Project Implementation of Government Funded Projects in USA

Staff competence is fundamental in ensuring the performance of a particular project. Competency among staff is expected to induce high-performance project results and optimistic business outcomes. Competencies such as management skills lead to the enhancement of the likelihood of project success. Thus, the study examined the effect of staff competence on project implementation of government-funded projects in the USA. The study was literature based. The study discovered that staff competence has a significant impact on project implementation. Staff competence includes the combination of observable and measurable knowledge, skills, abilities and personal attributes that contribute to enhanced employee performance and ultimately result in organizational success. To understand competencies, it is important to define the various components of competencies. Employee competencies are a list of skills and behaviors that are specific and well-defined and are used to lay out an organization's performance. Identifying the level of competence of project supervisors is required to promote effective project implementation. The study concluded that staff competence influences the effective implementation of projects. The study recommended that much consideration be implemented to support staff competency. Organizations need to set aside resources that can be used for the capacity building of the employees. The organization's employees should be tested to examine their competency level. Creating a project group with the requisite competencies to conduct their functions is important. There is a need for regular staff training to improve the competency needed in the implementation of projects. The workers should have the required skills to perform the activities adequately and attain the objectives. Creating a project group with the requisite competencies to conduct project implementation functions is necessary. Keywords: Staff competence, project implementation, USA

Analysis Method of Oxygen Permeation Resistance of Ionomer in Cathode Catalyst Layer in PEFC

Analysis Method of Oxygen Permeation Resistance of Ionomer in Cathode Catalyst Layer in PEFC

Modeling of the dynamic behavior of an integrated fuel cell system including fuel cell stack, air system, hydrogen system, and cooling system

Modeling method of an integrated fuel cell system: In this study, the actual FC-system in commercial fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), 2nd-generation MIRAI [1], is selected as the target of the validation and verification of the models. It consists of the FC-stack and sub-systems of air, hydrogen (H2), and cooling systems as shown in Fig. 1. The concepts of modelling methods of the FC-system are shown in Fig. 2, where the system configuration is depicted as the function-block diagram. In each function block, the entire system is broken-down to the component level and physical models of the individual components of FC-stack [2], air compressor [3], throttle valve [4], intercooler [5], and piping elements [5] are implemented. The state variables such as total pressure, flowrate, temperature, and gas composition are defined only at the centre of each component and the distribution of the state variables inside each component is not considered for high speed computation of the dynamic system behaviour. The differential equations of mass balance, mole balance, and energy balance across the fluid circuit shown in Fig. 2 are solved by finite difference method. The differentiated linear algebraic equation of mass balance is expressed by Eq. 1. The air, H2, and cooling system models are integrated with FC-stack mass transport and electrochemical models to build an integrated FC-system model in the Simulink block diagram. Results and discussion: The integrated FC-system model was validated and verified with the actual data collected with 2nd-generation MIRAI by comparing the simulation outputs and the system response data in same input and boundary conditions and the acceptable accuracy was confirmed. The relationships among a FC-stack material properties of PEM, CL, and GDL, FC-stack performance, and the system performance of the system efficiency, acceleration response, and heat generation rate are investigated. An example where cathode GDL substrate is removed and only MPL is remained is shown in Figs. 3–6. Fig. 3 is the simulation input conditions of target FC-system power and ambient wind velocity in front of radiator, where the steady state and dynamic transient in low to high load are combined and the constant wind velocity is assumed. Fig. 4 is the simulation results of I–V and I–R performance comparison. The removal of the GDL substrate improved oxygen transport and reduced FC-resistance by 10 mΩ and raised FC-voltage by 20 mV at 2.0 A/cm2. The break-down of voltage improvement of 20 mV consists of 5.5 mV reduction of resistance overpotential and 14.5 mV by concentration overpotential as far as MPL can deliver O2 under the ribs of the flow channels. Fig. 5 is the simulation results of the dynamic FC-system responses of overall heat generation rate, FC-coolant outlet temperature, and overall H2 consumption amount during an entire pattern. It is confirmed that the peak FC-coolant outlet temperature is lowered from 85 to 80 °C following the peak heat generation rate is reduced by 16 %, which also contributes to prevent the PEM and CL from drying. H2 consumption was reduced 4.3 %. Conclusions: The modeling method for an integrated FC-system which consists of the FC-stack, air system, H2 system, and cooling system is investigated. This model was validated and verified by the actual FC-system data collected with the FC-system implemented in the commercial FCEV and an acceptable accuracy was confirmed. The impact of oxygen transport resistance of cathode GDL substrate on the FC-system performance was investigated. It demonstrates impacts of cell configuration including choice of components and materials on the system performance can be investigated by numerical simulation. It is beneficial for an entire FC-system development process. Acknowledgement : This work was supported by the FC-Platform Program: Development of design-for-purpose numerical simulators for attaining long life and high performance project (FY 2020–2022) conducted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan.

Effects of Partially Narrowed Flow Channel on Performance of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

Introduction The performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) has a great dependency on the flow field pattern, which remarkably affects the distribution of reactant concentration, pressure drop, local current density, etc., and is supposed to be a solution of the PEFCs’ grand-scale commercialization. The gas diffusion layer (GDL) is utilized in a cell to provide a uniform in-plane reactant concentration distribution and electron conduction pathway. On the other hand, the local oxygen concentration under the rib tends to be relatively low, which negatively affects the cell performance. To promote the gas transfer in both of in-plane and through-plane directions, the flow field with narrowed structure was considered, as employed in Toyota 2nd-generation MIRAI, which slightly increases the pressure drop across the whole flow filed but force a portion of the reactant gas to transport through the GDL to the catalytic layer under the gas channels and ribs. However, a brief and clear understanding of the effect of the gas transfer promoted by the narrowed structure is still lack of report. In this study, the effects of flow fields with different geometrical shapes of the narrowed structure on the cell performance were directly measured by experiments and analyzed by theoretical model. The results are potentially helpful for cell design. Experimental The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with 10 mm thick catalytic layer and Nafion® ionomer and membrane (DuPont NR-212) was set up in a JARI-type cell. The polarization curves were measured with 4 kinds of gas channels: parallel (PN0), parallel with staggered 1-mm-long narrowed structures (PSN1), parallel with neat-arranged 1-mm-long and 3-mm-long narrowed structures (PNN1, PNN3), whose geometries are shown in Fig. 1. The manifolds of gas channels have wider size than the separated channels in order to ensure an equal flow rate in each separated channel. 200 sccm H2 and 100 sccm O2 + 400 sccm N2 (20 °C, 1 atm) were supplied to anode and cathode respectively. The dew points of the humidifiers were 65 °C. The cell was operated at 80 °C and 1 atm. Results and Discussion The simulation was proceeded in isothermal conditions, and the anisotropies of gas permeability and diffusivity in GDL were considered. The reaction kinetics was obtained by experiments. The experimental polarization curves exhibit a good agreement with the simulation results, as shown in Fig. 2. The cell performance of PSN1=PNN1>PNN3>PN0. The gas channels with narrowed structures show better performance since a part of reactant gas flows into the GDL so that the mass transfer is enhanced. Fig. 3 shows the current density distribution of each gas channels obtained by calculation. Comparing to the PN0, higher current density generates where the narrowed structures are placed, and the average oxygen partial pressure on the whole catalytic surface increased 17.5%, 17.3% and 10.8% in case of PSN1, PNN1 and PNN3, as shown in Fig. 4.The narrowed structure increases the gas convection in through-plane and in-plane directions. In case of the PSN1, the staggered narrowed structures cause the pressure gradient between gas channels, so that 5.4 % of gas in the odd-numbered gas channels flows to the even-numbered gas channels, shown as Fig. 5. However, in case of the PNN1, although nearly no pressure gradient exists between the gas channels, the performance is similar to the PSN1, which indicates the enhancement of gas transfer in the in-plane direction is unobvious.On the other hand, the effective field, where the narrowed structures enhance the gas transfer, is wider than the geometries of narrowed structures itself. The distances of higher current density in the gas flow directions comparing to the PN0 are longer than the length of narrowed structures, shown as Fig. 6. It indicates that the PNN3 has narrower effective gas transfer enhanced field than the PNN1, so that the PNN3 has lower cell performance than the PNN1. Conclusions The narrowed structures in the parallel channel heighten the gas transfer to the catalytic layer surface, so that the cell performance is improved. This effect mainly exists in the through-plane direction, in case of the presented experimental conditions. The width of the narrowed structure should not be too large which may cause the waste of the effective gas transfer enhanced field. In addition, the non-linear relationship between cell performance improvement and pressure drop is going to be further discussed. Acknowledgment This work was supported by the FC Platform Program: Development of design-for-purpose numerical simulators for attaining long life and high performance project (FY 2020–FY 2024) conducted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan. Figure 1