From Immature to Mature: Uncertainty Management in Public Construction

1. 24th IPMA World Congress www.ipma2010.com Uncertainty management in the directorate of public construction and property, Norway (Statsbygg) – From an immature to a mature actor Anandasivakumar Ekambaram Research Scientist, SINTEF – Technology and Society,  Agnar Johansen Senior Scientist, SINTEF – Technology and Society, Ragnhild AalstadProject Manager, Statsbygg, Asbjørn Hansen Project Manager, OPAK, 1-3 November 2010, Istanbul, Turkey

2. Context • PUS-project: Practical Uncertainty Management in a Project Owner perspective (PUS). www.nsp.ntnu.no/pus • The project is financed by the Norwegian Research Council and by six large norwegian industrial partners • Focus: PUS aims to develop a new way of thinking, managing and governing uncertainty in projects • Statsbygg (The Directorate of Public Construction and Property):

3. Context of the study • Organisational context • Statsbygg: The largest Norwegian public sector organisation • The SUS-project: Management of uncertainty in Statsbygg • Research methods • Qualitative research

4. The five levels of maturity-Uncertainty management Process Improvement Level 5: Continuous Improvement Process Control Level 4: Benchmarking Process Definition Level 3: Singular Methodology Basic Knowledge Level 2: Common Processes Level 1: Common Language Kerzner, Harold (2009): Project Management – A systems approach to planning, scheduling and controlling, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

5. Master –Uncertaintymanagement in Statsbygg- Experience and new models (Lund 2006-2007) 2007 Maturity model Risk management based on CMM (Capability Maturity Model) and EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) (Lund, 2007).

6. Project timeline SUS project- overwiev 8- case projects 3 days course- More then 100 participants

7. Work process for uncertainty management - Statsbygg

8. The Case projects

9. Case – shortpresentation

10. Case – shortpresentation

11. Existing initiatives to transfer knowledge in the organisation • The organisation • “The House” • Statsbygg School • New routines and tools • Meetings and seminars • Research activities • The projects • Following up contracts • Routines for reporting and meetings • Uncertainty analyses • Instances of knowledge transfer in individual projects

12. From an immature to a mature actor 2007 2010

13. Concluding remarks • By the help of the SUS-project, Statsbygg has gone from being an immature organization to a mature organization when it comes to managing uncertainty in complex construction projects. • Statsbygg has now got a common way of handling and managing uncertainty, and the common way is presented in the form of routines and procedures. • Statsbygg has got common tools as well as guidelines for applying the tools. • A new role called uncertainty coordinator has been established.

14. Concluding remarks • A course-concept has been developed with the intention of providing practical knowledge in uncertainty management. In the mean time, a range of focus-seminars have been conducted. • Focous seminar for top mangement level • The seminars have contributed to ensuring that the methodology is placed firmly at the top management level down to department directors and further down to individual projects. • In addition, an organizational unit has been put in place – an organizational unit that develops further the methodology and follows up the utilization of the new system (of managing uncertainty) within the limited duration of the SUS-project.

15. Thank you • Contact information: • A. Ekambaram: siva@sintef.no • A. Johansen: Agnar.Johansen@sintef.no • Ragnhild Aalstad – Statsbygg • Asbjørn Hansen - OPAK • Norwegian Center of Project Management (NSP): http://www.nsp.ntnu.no • Questions