Potential of Conflicts during Project Management - Assignment Example

Project management Part 1 Management issues and effectiveness Generally, management issues are inevitable in projects. In most cases, management issues in projects arise from conflicts that are inevitable. In this project, potential conflicts are likely to arise from many sources such as lack of defined goals which may lead to the top management not agreeing or declining to support undefined goals for the project (Peter, 2013). Accordingly, it is advisable for the project manager to communicate clear and defined goals from the project’s onset (Wolfgand & Finn, 2008). Another aspect that is likely to bring in management issues is scope changes. Scope changes happen when the project management allows the scope of the project to go beyond the set goals. For instance, the contractor and supervisors can request for changes to the project. In this case, it will be prudent for the project manager to assess every request for the changes and decide how if it is fit to implement the change (Wolfgand & Finn, 2008). In case the decision is made to implement the change, this should be communicated to all project stakeholders, especially in regard the impact on the budget and on deadline. As Peter (2013) suggests, potential of conflicts during project management is normally high because projects involve people from diverse backgrounds and orientations working collaboratively to ensure completion of a complex project. Accordingly, the cause of conflicts in team projects can be allied to variations in values, projections, opinions, personalities and attitudes (Wolfgand & Finn, 2008). Therefore, it will be necessary for the project managers and other organizational members to have the appropriate skills to assist resolving the conflicts successfully. Prompt and successful resolution of conflicts can result to increased productivity for the project and also ensure that the project is completed within the set timeline. Conflicts in the project can be solved through effective communication where there should be effective communication to all project stakeholders. In addition, it is important for the project managers to maintain communication flow and feedback between the top management, team leaders as well as amongst all project stakeholders (Peter, 2013). The following conflict resolution strategies are recommended for this project: Compromising strategy: In case of a major conflict in this project, conflicting parties will bargain to arrive at a reciprocally acceptable solution. Both conflicting parties will give up on something to ensure that a decision is reached and ensure that each party has some level of satisfaction. Compromising strategy will be suitable for this project because it will save time and at the same time maintain good relationship between the conflicting parties (Klinger & Susong, 2006). Smoothing: Another conflict solving strategy that will be used in this project is smoothing. Smoothing involved accommodating each party’s views and opinions and obliging as well. This strategy highlights the areas of agreement and downplays the areas of disagreement. As a result, some parties will sacrifice their concerns in order to satisfy concerns of the other party. Smoothing will be used in this project when objectives to be reached are overarching, to gain time and also if there is need to ensure harmony between team members (Klinger & Susong, 2006). Possible variables for success for this project Various variables that are likely to affect this project include; human and project related factors, project processes, project management activities as well as external environment (Berssaneti & Carvalho, 2014). Project-related factors: The attributes that will be used in assessing project related factors for the project include the size of the project, complexity as well as the nature of the project. Project procedures: Procedures that are likely to influence the success of the project include the procurement methods used and tendering methods used in the project (Alias et al, 2014) Project management actions: In this section, variables likely to impact the project include the communications systems, feedback actions, quality assurance programs, managerial actions and planning efforts for the project. These variables are likely to influence how prompt the project will be completed, among other factors (Albert, et al, 2004). External environment: External variables likely to impact the project include the economic environment, social setting where the project is being developed, political environment, as well as technological developments. All these factors can impact the project’s timeline as well as the success of the project. For instance, difficult economic times are likely to delay the project due to financial constraints (Berssaneti & Carvalho, 2014). Human related factors: Some of the human related factors that are likely to affect the project include the capabilities of the project team members. For example, decision making of the project stakeholders as well as the organizational skills and planning skills for the project team leaders can greatly affect the project (Albert, et al, 2004). Part 2 Procurement strategy For the project to achieve the desired returns, the most suitable form of procurement will need to integrate the following: Reduce the lead times to ensure that the appointment of the contractor is done at the earliest opportunity to ensure that costs are minimized and the project is completed at the earliest time possible Collaborate and work with the contractor to give advice regarding design efficiencies for build-ability as well as costing purposes (Kerzner, 2009) Make sure that the contractor works together with the quantity surveyor in order to have a cost plan that is deliverable without requiring to tender engineering post tender In order to reduce cost overruns and ensure that the design risk is passed to the contractor, a design and build type of contract will be used for the project To limit the probability of the contactor making claims of additional costs for unknown following the awarding of the contract, a wholly designed pre-contract award will be submitted in regard to the contractor Finally, it will be important for the team to successfully collaborate with the contractors and have a contractor who will not make claims for unreasonable further costs Types of contracts relevant for the project Design and build contract This is the most preferred form of contract for the project. In this form of contract, the key contractor will be selected for designing and constructing the project’s works. In this project, the contractor will be appointed to perform all the design work and complete the construction of the project as well (Loots & Charret, 2009). The contractor will be appointed at the beginning of the project to ensure the contractor contributes to the project’s design from the onset. The appointment of the contractor will involve two stages, where in the first phase the contractor will be appointed on grounds of a fee, groundwork, expenses and profits ((Klinger & Susong, 2006). The contractor will then work with the design team in developing the project design, basing on the negotiated price. Design and build form of contract is among the most preferred procurement route for the project because it will ensure there is a wholly integrated team to work collaboratively on the project from the start (Loots & Charret, 2009). Design and build contract can be awarded basing on the following modes of contractual payments: Fixed price contract type: This form of contract entails total fixed priced for all activities allied to the project. The contract will also include the incentives that the contractor will be given in case the contract is terminated as well as the penalties for late termination. This contract will be appropriate for the project because the project has a clear scope and a defined schedule as well and all these aspects will be reviewed and agreed upon before the project starts (Klinger & Susong, 2006). Cost plus contracts: This form of contract entails paying for the actual costs, purchases or any other cost that is incurred directly from the project’s activities. As a result, the contract should have specific information regarding a specific pre-negotiated amount that will cover the overhead and profit of the contractor. The costs of the project ought to be detailed and also categorized as direct or indirect costs (Loots & Charret, 2009). Quality Management Quality for the project will be achieved using the following strategies: Planning inspections will be performed to substantiate if the project complies with the planning permissions, conditions and duties All the project milestones and activities will be documented for verification of standards of the products and workmanship through assessments and mockups. These prerequisites will be set out within the contract documentation (Rumane, 2016) The standard of workmanship will be enhanced through provision of sufficient training, providing proper instructions and clear checklists. The standard will also be enhanced through on-site supervision and monitoring the work progress and providing feedback to ensure continuous improvement (Robby et al, 2001) The contractor on site will control the quality of materials used for the construction of the project, along with the standard of workmanship through implementation of a quality plan. The quality pan will set out the resources needed (equipment, materials) and allied documents (lists of materials, buying documentations), as well as control activities to verify the compliance of the project with the required specifications. In addition, this will allow specific procedures to be verified and monitoring activities to be performed It will be important to ensure site inspectors visit the site regularly Environment health officials will inspect the project to assess likely pollution and also assess some specific installations such as drainage system (Robby et al, 2001) References Alias Z, Khalid Y & Aris N, 2014, Determining Critical Success Factors of Project Management Practice: A Conceptual Framework, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 153(16), PP:61-69. Albert P, Chan C, Scott D & Chan A, 2004, Factors Affecting the Success of a Construction Project, J. Constr. Eng. Manage, 1(30), pp:153-155. Berssaneti T & Carvalho M, 2014, Identification of variables that impact project success in Brazilian companies, International Journal of Project Management 33 (2015), pp: 638–649. Kerzner H, 2009, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, New York: John Wiley & Sons Klinger M & Susong M, 2006, The Construction Project: Phases, People, Terms, Paperwork, Processes, New York: American Bar Association. Loots P & Charret D, 2009, Practical Guide to Engineering and Construction Contracts, Sydney: CCH Australia Limited. Peter F, 2013, Construction Project Management: An Integrated Approach, Melbourne: Routledge Robby S, David G, Gary D, 2001, Achieving quality construction projects based on harmonious working relationships ‐ Clients’ and architects’ perceptions of contractor performance, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 18(5), pp: 528-548. Rumane A, 2016, Quality Management in Construction Projects, London: CRC Press. Wolfgand S & Finn F, 2008, Conflict Prevention in Project Management: Strategies, Methods, Checklists and Case Studies, London: Springer. Read More