Managing Infrastructure Projects Research Articles

Enhancing Project Management for SMEs: A Hybrid Approach

Objective: South Africa's economic growth and development are closely intertwined with government-prioritized infrastructure development projects. However, SMEs in this sector often grapple with insufficient project management processes, impeding their efficacy and economic contributions. The issue stems from the inadequate implementation of project management methodologies by SMEs, which adversely affects project outcomes and consequently their economic impact. Research Design & Methods: A literature review was conducted to assess the implementation of project management methodologies by SMEs in South African infrastructure development projects. The objective is to highlight areas for improvement, rectify the deficiency in project management practices among SMEs, and bolster their effectiveness and economic contributions. Findings: Preliminary findings accentuate the critical role of project management as a discipline for SMEs involved in infrastructure projects. Its absence or inadequate implementation hampers the growth and sustainability of organizations aiming to make substantial economic contributions and create employment. A hybrid project management model tailored for SMEs in infrastructure development emerges as a mechanism for effectively managing infrastructure projects. Implications and Recommendations: The conceptualization of a hybrid project management model for infrastructure development projects holds the potential to enhance project value by facilitating adaptability. By incorporating agile project management components, this model also stands to improve client engagement, consequently elevating the prospects of success in infrastructure development projects. Contribution & Value Added: This study contributes to the understanding of how SMEs can improve their effectiveness and economic contributions in South Africa's infrastructure development sector. The proposed hybrid project management model offers valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers in South Africa, ultimately fostering economic development and sustainable growth in the country.

KEMANFAATAN PEMBIAYAAN INFRASTRUKTUR NON KONVENSIONAL SEBAGAI ALTERNATIF PEMBIAYAAN INFRASTRUKTUR GUNA KETAHANAN EKONOMI NASIONAL

Infrastructure is an instrument to facilitate the rotation of the economy so that it can accelerate development. Funding is a major challenge in national infrastructure development. The state budget is only able to support about one-third of the total infrastructure funding required. Unconventional financing alternatives provide significant benefits to national infrastructure development. Unconventional state-owned infrastructure financing has a positive impact on national economic resilience. Increasing the speed of infrastructure development by using non-conventional approaches, infrastructure development can be accelerated because it can involve private participation in financing and managing infrastructure projects. This research uses normative juridical method by using statutory approach and conceptual approach.

Conceptual model for managing the phases of implementation of infrastructure projects and programmes in the post-war period

The outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has caused significant human, economic, and political damage, as well as destruction to infrastructure. However, in the future, all losses incurred should be recovered. Therefore, creating models to manage infrastructure projects is still important, especially in the post-war environment of Ukraine. The purpose of this study was to build a model that would allow for the highest management efficiency in the implementation of infrastructure projects in the post-war period and to describe the possibilities of its practical application. The main methods used in the study were analysis, modelling, and abstraction. Thus, the study built a conceptual model of management of infrastructure projects and programmes in the post-war period. The study also analysed the current theoretical framework for infrastructure project management and highlighted the issue of substantiating the parameters of infrastructure programme and project products. Network models, their features and possibilities of use were described to provide a clearer picture of the project’s work and more efficient resource management. The paper emphasised that infrastructure projects are often divided into two phases: construction and operation. The study also described the importance of infrastructure projects for the efficient transport of goods and passengers and their impact on the competitiveness of the transport system. This study offers a more profound insight into the specific features of managing the implementation phases of infrastructure projects, especially in the post-war period, and brings new knowledge for management in the context of building large-scale investment programmes

Educating engineers of the future: T-shaped professionals for managing infrastructure projects

Infrastructure projects are costly, colossal, complex, captivating, controversial, and laden with control issues. The development of these projects causes environmental, social, and political disruptions in the local environment, which have to be carefully handled by professionals in the field. This article aims to enhance the performance of infrastructure development professionals by highlighting the necessary competencies and how these competencies can be improved through preparation and training. After discussing the different shapes of professionals, the competencies for infrastructure development are discussed. It is argued that the competencies for infrastructure development are similar to the T-shaped framework. Competencies such as in-depth knowledge, ability to understand and work in different areas, being flexible and adaptive to change, having decision-making capabilities, and willingness to be life-long learners are instrumental in creating T-shaped professionals for infrastructure development. The different learning activities such as lectures, on-site visits, role plays, case study discussions, problem-solving exercises and project work can be employed to educate professionals in the area. The suitability of these methods for online education is also discussed. The study calls for more research to trace the effectiveness of learning activities in the infrastructure sector.

China's Belt and Road Initiative: Implications for intra‐regional trade in Africa

This paper considers the prospects and promises of continent‐wide infrastructure projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and its implications for intra‐regional trade and economic development in Africa. Building on the supply side theory of trade and economic development, and taking cognizance of the impacts of asymmetric market sizes on trade integration, this paper argues that continent‐wide infrastructure projects are perhaps not the biggest constraints to intra‐Africa trade. Consequently, the paper recommends caution in pursuing regional infrastructure projects under the BRI. Given that the economies of most African countries depend largely on natural resources, the BRI could be adopted strategically to establish and manage infrastructure projects that would relax the binding constraints to structural transformation and allow for the development of manufacturing and/or service capabilities in the respective countries, especially in niche areas.

HYBRID INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES

The subject of this article is the development of hybrid methodologies for managing projects, programs and project portfolios. Significant reductions in the life cycles of infrastructure programs, which contain projects of different lines of activity and different management methodologies, for example, waterfalls with a rigid life cycle and Agile with a flexible methodology life cycle, require the use of convergence tools to form “hybrid” methodologies. The goal is to develop a convergent approach to building hybrid project management methodologies in terms of decision-making processes in project management based on various platforms. Results of the studies were obtained using a convergent approach to building methodologies for managing infrastructure projects and programs. A substantial model of the resulting hybrid methodology for managing infrastructure projects and programs is presented. Conclusions: Hybrid methodologies for managing infrastructure projects and programs are becoming more popular in this category of programs. The main reason is the presence in the program of components with different life cycles, and, consequently, methodologies that require integration and harmonization. The methodology is tested by the practice of using mechanisms of hybrid multilevel management of infrastructure projects and programs. The study of hybrid infrastructural program management methodologies is defined by the practice of introducing different components of programs. The application of the hybrid project management methodology allowed the authors to execute different projects in essence within the stipulated timeframe with the given budget and quality of construction projects and projects of creation of information and communication infrastructure management systems. Further areas of research are related to the elaboration of harmonization, integration, convergence and actualization mechanisms.

The Responsibility to Protect and Infrastructure in Myanmar

The responsibility to protect norm has been associated with prevention activities such as national capacity building. There has also been recognition that social and economic development may have a relationship to this principle. Physical and social infrastructure is said to contribute to development and may be delivered by private actors, including via partnerships between the state and foreign investors, donors and institutions. However, the role that private investors play in relation to responsibility to protect activities remains unclear. This article explores the relationship between private actors, infrastructure and the responsibility to protect in the context of Myanmar. It argues that considering these topics together presents opportunities and risks, since infrastructure might help to prevent atrocities, but can also — as in Myanmar — contribute to their commission. Careful planning and consultation are crucial when funding and managing infrastructure projects, supported by laws, guidelines, and the concepts of responsibility and prevention.

The impact of limited rationality on the creation and management of complex infrastructure projects: The cases of Heathrow and Berlin- Brandenburg airports

The article aims to examine the impact of decision-makers’ limited rationality on creating and managing infrastructure projects. The object of the study is transportation enterprises that have critical importance for the national and global economy. I argue that the success of the infrastructure projects depends on the external environment state and is most evident during macroeconomic recovery. Authorities make less rational decisions and approve more innovative and expensive projects at the micro level if the national economy approaches the peak of growth. The productivity of operating objects depends on the interplay between the external environment and the internal functional and isolated levels of the enterprise — physical, distribution, economic, technological, and design. I suggest that these levels differ dramatically by their innovativeness and planning horizon. The physical level implies the routine and short-term planning, whereas the project level implies the higher level of innovativeness and long-term planning horizon. The remaining levels occupy an intermediate position between these two poles. A significant deviation from the indicated distribution at the functional levels can undermine the productivity of transportation enterprise and infrastructure projects. I illustrate this assumption using the cases of the construction projects of Terminal 5 at Heathrow and Berlin–Brandenburg Airports. In both projects, the obtained results were far from the planned ones, which proves the distortions in the way their activities were distributed between functional levels.

НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ ПРОЕКТ «БЕЗОПАСНЫЕ И КАЧЕСТВЕННЫЕ ДОРОГИ»: ЭФФЕКТЫ И ПРОБЛЕМЫ РЕАЛИЗАЦИИ (на примере Ростовской области)

In the current conditions of economic contraction caused by the complex epidemiological situation and measures aimed at minimizing the spread of coronavirus, it is necessary to create a solid foundation for the further economic recovery. At the government level it was decided to continue the implementation of national projects as significant tools for recovery national economy. Economic level influences on transport infrastructure in the short term, however, presence of mutual influence has not been statistically confirmed. It was revealed that transport investments reduce the accident rate on the Rostov Region’s roads. The revealed combination of tendencies of a simultaneous decrease in accident rate and the specific gravity of paved roads indirectly indicates a redistribution of traffic flows and investments into sections and directions with the highest load. Improving the road’s quality with the highest flows by reducing investments to maintenance of auxiliary roads allows reducing accident rate. Such relation also indirectly indicates the trend of investment redistribution from maintenance of secondary roads to the busiest districts carrying risks of accidents. It is important to emphasize that coordinated policy for managing infrastructure projects will be determining factor in obtaining returns on invested financial resources, as measured by the positive dynamics of growth of socio-economic indicators.

Public-Private Partnerships in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Future Management Research

ABSTRACTPublic-private partnerships (PPPs) are cooperative arrangements between governments and multinational corporations (MNCs) that are created to finance, construct and manage infrastructure projects. PPPs are a means for governments to gain much-needed private sector investment and expertise for economic development. Historically, Africa’s involvement in PPPs has been limited relative to other continents. However, African governments, which are strapped for resources like other public entities, now have a greater need for infrastructure development to support the continent’s population growth and demand for its commodities from emerging countries. Based on these conditions, PPPs will grow in importance in Africa. The purpose of this Insights Article is to discuss the past and current state of PPPs in Africa and the existing challenges of PPPs on the continent. We also discuss the opportunities that PPPs present to researchers who wish to contribute to the development of PPPs as an area of management inquiry.

An Option Approach to Public Infrastructure Investment

How do we ensure that public infrastructure is properly and adequately maintained and replaced? How can we ensure that the allocation of infrastructure spending is not motivated by the political process? In this paper, I present an option value approach that offers an answer to both questions and I argue that this approach is superior to the current net present value approach (NPV). This yields several important results. First, I show that the NPV approach is not sufficient. Second, the option value approach allows for an explicit valuation for comparisons between projects. Third, the option approach provides an explicit formula for managing a transportation fund for infrastructure projects. Finally, the option value approach provides the means for a rule-of-law for managing infrastructure projects that ensures that both needed investment takes place and that funding is not allocated based on political value.

Managing Infrastructure Projects in Australia

Public private partnerships (PPPs) have evolved as a strategic response to public sector resource deficits and for pooling technical, managerial, and financial resources from the private sector. In this article, we identify the key factors necessary for a collaborative management strategy and analyze the structural and operational issues of two infrastructure projects in Australia. This article explains how a PPP offers a different set of strategic options to deal with complex micromanagement issues and argues that the success of PPPs depends on the processes and actions used to cocreate managerial social capital, building mutual trust by sharing risks, responsibilities, and experience.

Long-Term Infrastructure Partnerships: Contracting Risks and Risk-Reduction Strategies

Long-term commercial contracts between governments and private companies to design, build, finance, and/or manage infrastructure projects, often labeled ‘‘public-private partnerships,’’ offer the potential to improve project quality and cost-effectiveness. However, the success of these contracts from the public’s perspective depends upon government’s capacity to capture these potential benefits. While some long-term infrastructure contracts have met their performance and cost-saving objectives, the failure of other high-visibility infrastructure contracts demonstrates that the long-term viability of these complex arrangements is far from guaranteed. This essay examines the heightened contracting risks posed by long-term infrastructure partnerships, provides illustrative examples of flawed contracting practices, and offers a series of recommendations to public owners for practical measures to reduce the public’s exposure to risk in these contracts, thereby enhancing the prospects for success.

Urban Governance and the Control of Infrastructure

Many cities have used special-purpose authorities, commissions, and quasi-public corporations to build and manage infrastructure projects. This article uses the Philadelphia region to illustrate an important reason why government officials resort to quasi-independent bodies to manage infrastructure investments—namely, because powerful economic and political interests outside the city increasingly seek to control the development of urban centers. As metropolitan regions become the economic units competing at the global scale, interest groups beyond the city’s boundaries act to ensure that the city’s future development serves regional interests. One important way to do this is to exert influence over the infrastructure investments that make capital productive. This case study shows how quasi-governmental forms of organization have served as the vehicles for outsiders to influence the development of greater Philadelphia’s core city.

Reassessing Risk in Developing Country Infrastructure

Private investment in developing country infrastructure has grown rapidly in the last decade, yet hazards still exist that may undermine the stability of investment projects. This article reviews data and surveys recent cases that underscore the emergent threats faced by companies seeking to develop and manage infrastructure projects. Using a framework to classify the multiple roles of government in both facilitating and impeding investment, it proposes strategies for investors and developers to assess and mitigate these continuing risks. Its recommendations include leveraging international agreements, drawing on multilateral project finance, pursing first-mover positions and engaging all relevant stakeholders. The paper concludes by drawing implications for management research and practice.

A monitoring and controlling system in managing infrastructure projects

This paper aims at providing an overview of the monitoring and controlling process, followed by analysing the monitoring and control systems in infrastructure projects in Gaza Strip. The author concludes that it is highly recommended that international management consulting firms should consider transfering know‐how to Palestinian engineers to ensure that future monitoring and control systems can be effective.