Margaret Emsley

Is a Challenged Project One of the Final Outcomes for an IT Project

As many IT projects continue to fail or stay in the area of challenged projects, the requirement to investigate this problem and to find solutions will continue. The current study is an exploratory examination to investigate challenged IT projects across Saudi organizations. Data were collected through a mixed method using the critical incident technique (CIT) with 15 experienced IT managers and a survey with 59 IT managers. Then, the data gathered were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis method and SPSS. The study finds that time error can occur throughout the project execution phase. Findings suggest that challenged projects could be converted to be successful or failed projects using a model of IT Project Outcomes Testing (MITPOT). Thus, this model establishes a foundation of Project End Theory (PET).

Relationships between total construction cost and design related variables

This paper seeks to redress the omission in recent literature on the influence of project strategic, site related and design related variables on the cost of construction. It presents, in part, the results of an investigation into the influence of 41 independent variables on both construction cost and client cost, concentrating on design related variables. Data were collected from 286 construction projects in the United Kingdom and correlation and test for differences were used to determine the relationships that exist between the dependent and independent variables. The analysis ascertains the cost ranking of many design related variables and establishes other relationships which exist within the data, confirming many of the relationships that had been anticipated from the literature. It also established the ordinal sequence of several nominal variables. These data, therefore, can be confidently used to develop models of the total cost of construction as verified by the development of both regression analysis and neural network cost models

Relationships between total construction cost and project strategic, site related and building definition variable

There is a paucity of recent literature on the influence of project strategic, site related and design related variables on the cost of construction. This paper seeks to redress this omission by presenting the results of an investigation into the influence of 41 independent variables on both construction cost and client cost. Data were collected from 286 construction projects in the United Kingdom and correlation and test for differences were used to determine the relationships that exist between the dependent and independent variables. The analysis both confirms the strong relationship between construction cost and client cost and between those two measures of cost and GIFA, and establishes other relationships which exist within the data, confirming many of the relationships that had been anticipated from the literature. It also established the ordinal sequence of several nominal variables. These data, therefore, can be confidently used to develop models of the total cost of construction.

A benefits analysis of partnering: a case study of a community primary school in the UK

Partnering, which involves all members of the project team working together to improve performance through agreeing mutual objectives, is a construct; on procurement strategy encouraged by the UK Government, as it believed that such a strategy will provide best value, which is an aspect especially critical for public clients. Partnering may be strategic or applied to a specific project only. A regionally based main contractor (MC) constructed the Community Primary School (CPS) for a Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC) using a project partnering arrangement; such an arrangement was also in place between the main contractor and its key sub‐contractors. The overall conclusion, derived from the analysis of a case study carried out on the project, is that the CPS project has been a very successful project. Broadly, it was completed ahead of schedule, an achievement which undoubtedly would not have been possible without the use of partnering which allowed an overlap of the design and construction activities, there was a slight overspend above budget, the health and safety of people involved in its construction was not compromised and the finished product is of a high quality, fit for purpose.

Where is intentionality in studying project delays

Purpose – In this paper, the dominant techno-rational view of studying delays in projects is challenged. In so doing, the purpose of this paper is to urge for more attention paid to studying the intentionalities of the planners involved in planning the schedule for projects. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors take a critical approach to review a range of literatures related to the concept of project delays. Through this review, the authors render the relative absence of acknowledging intentionality in the study of delays problematic. Therefore, the authors inject fresh insights into how intentionality can play a crucial role in advancing the understanding of project delays. Findings – Prevailing research tends to assume the primacy of the project plan and conceptualise delays as a consequence of flawed execution. The review offers three possibilities for reconceptualising delays as a consequence of flawed plans. In so doing, the authors refocus the attention on how intentionality cou...

Factors affecting the productivity of the construction industry in Thailand: the foremen\'s perception

Factors affecting construction productivity in Thailand were disclosed in previous studies carried out by the authors, which confirmed that the construction industry in Thailand has experienced problems like many other countries. The objectives of this paper are to ascertain foremens perception of factors affecting construction productivity in Thailand and to confirm the results obtained from earlier research on the same aspects. To do so, 57 foremen working in the construction industry in Thailand completed a structured questionnaire survey. The factors were ranked by the use of a relative important index (RII) and results indicate that the six factors that were rated to have more than a moderate effect on productivity in Thailand are lack of material, incomplete drawings, lack of tools and equipment, rework, change order and tools and equipment breakdown.

Buffer Sizing in CCPM Portfolios with Different Resource Capacities

Although buffer sizing is one of the most investigated subjects in Critical Chain Project Management CCPM, almost all the focus has been on its implications for single-project environments. Among the entire invented buffer sizing methods, the cut and paste method C&PM is the most accepted by practitioners and long-established CCPM software packages. This study concentrates on the use of C&PM in CCPM portfolios with different resource capacities with the aim of examining the performance of this method and identifying the most appropriate sizes of project and feeding buffers. This aim is pursued through considering ten different levels of resource capacity, conducting Monte Carlo simulations of randomly generated project data and comparing the results with deterministic duration values of the same portfolios with 30%, 40% and 50% buffer sizes. As a significant contribution, this study recommends what buffer sizes should be allotted in CCPM portfolios with different resource capacities.

Alternative dispute resolution in Palestine: the myth and dilemma of construction mediation

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques in the Palestinian construction industry. It also seeks to identify some of the drivers and barriers to the greater use of particular ADR techniques. Design/methodology/approach In this study, 12 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with senior ADR practitioners comprising nine construction professionals, two eminent lawyers and a retired judge. Findings This research has explored the practices of mediation, adjudication and expert evaluation in the Palestinian construction industry and has identified deficiencies in implementation and the roles that the cultural and legal contexts play in this. The research findings cast some doubt on the results of previous studies asserting the widespread use of construction mediation. Originality/value This paper contributes to knowledge by bringing new insight into the practice of particular ADR techniques in the Palestinian construction industry and in identifying challenges to the more widespread adoption of these ADR techniques. This paper exposes the myth of the popularity of construction mediation and the dilemma to the use of mediation brought by the social construction and conceptualisation of the mediator’s role.

Evolution of Construction Arbitration

AbstractArbitration is at the forefront of construction dispute resolution techniques in Palestine. This paper critically examines the historical development of arbitration and explains the recent ...

A comparison of the suitability of FIDIC and NEC conditions of contract in Palestine: A perspective from the industry

The standard forms of construction contract are receiving greater attention in the management of projects scholarship as they probably influence the project success and project disputes. The extant literature suggests that the standard forms of construction contract are one of the top sources of disputes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the standard forms of construction contract, FIDIC and NEC, in reducing disputes in the Palestinian construction industry.,The researchers have used qualitative methods to collect data and more specifically have undertaken 12 semi-structured interviews.,The study reveals that the standard forms of construction contract can be a tool to minimise disputes, but certainly not to eradicate them, and NEC appears to be more capable than FIDIC to do so.,This study contributes to knowledge by bringing an industrial perspective into the role of standard forms of contract in disputes creation and avoidance. The interviewees, recurrent users of FIDIC contract, criticised certain features and expressions and proposed some solutions.