Enhancing Fast-Track Project Management: A Comprehensive Review

1. Managing Fast – Tracked Projects: A Review of ECI Report Dr. George Jergeas PEng.

2. Reference This presentation is based on the European Construction Institute (ECI) - UK ECI Manual The Fast Track Manual A guide to Schedule Reduction for Client and Contractors on Engineering and Construction Projects

3. Content • Introduction • Different Project Stages • Concept Stage • Development Stage • Definition Stage • Design Stage • Procurement Stage • Construction Stage • Commissioning • Operation Stage

4. Introduction • Takes place more quickly than normal • A difficult and often stressful route to follow • Projects ranged from 4 - 36 months • Schedule reduction 10 - 29% • Cost increase 10 - 20%

5. Reasons for Fast Track • Urgent requirements by client • To maximize profit or limit loss • Imposed deadline • Start of academic year • End of current lease • New legislation • Minimize disruption of services

6. Key Success factors • The calibre of individuals and their working relationships • The adequacy of the definition of the project • Strategy adopted and systems for implementation • The passion to succeed on the part of key participants

7. Definitions • “A managerial approach to the achievement of early project delivery, involving the application of innovations in the management of construction procurement and recent advances in the process that, bringing into play; • The integration of construction and design phases • The involvement of the contractor in both the design and construction phases • Overlapping of work packages to enable construction of sections of the project to proceed while the design for other sections is being progressed • The employment of the expertise of suppliers in design and construction Kwakye, 1991

8. General Principles • Work Package Overlap • Work packages are progressed in parallel • Overlap the stages for each work package • Early Decisions • Experienced judgement and empowerment • Commence design before scope has been defined • Must accept wrong decisions

9. General Principles • Integrated Project Team • Main parties are combined into a single organization and participate to the limit of their capability in achieving the project objectives • Partnering/Building and sustaining team • Benefits • Availability of additional expertise • Avoiding learning curve errors • Reduction in the overall workload • Commitment to the project definition and schedule • Design and construction developed together

10. General Principles • Additional Staff • More labour will be needed at peak period as a consequence of scheduling activities in parallel • More management resource will be needed to deal with interface and progress issues arising from inter-dependencies between disciplines and between design, procurement and construction • Schedule Reduction Techniques • Project must be managed in an efficient manner making full use of project management and schedule reduction techniques • Procurement Strategy • Early selection of subcontractors and vendors

11. General Principles • Additional Risks • Decisions based on limited information, cannot always be right first time • A structured and thorough risk management process needed

12. Characteristics that Support Strategy • Ownership • Client support • Project sponsor or champion • Stakeholder support and commitment • Organization • Project team needs to be simple, clear and devoid of rigid hierarchy • If parent organization has a functional matrix structure, the functional line must be subordinate to the project management (task) line for the duration of the project team

13. Characteristics that Support Strategy • Desirable Team Characteristics • Honesty - Openness - Trust • Anticipation and avoidance of issues rather than waiting for them to turn into problems • Mutual support - issue resolution, coaching • No blame culture • Access to all parties, no communication barriers • Lean organization, which aids communications and speeds decision taking • Full time members • Authorized and empowered team members • Decision making on the spot without referring

14. Characteristics that Support Strategy • People and Relationships • Technical competence • Decisiveness - self starter - can do - flexibility • Ability to forecast outcome and act accordingly • See the big picture • Willing to collaborate • Enthusiasm • Strong leadership • Managerial competence • Openness

15. Characteristics that Support Strategy • Motivation • Create a team culture that avoid de-motivation of individuals who are keen to succeed, but are prevented by the organization, procedures,….. • Working part of a team, working equally hard and supporting each other • Appoint key positions to individuals known to be good motivators • Early identification and removal of under-performing individuals • Team building and partnering sessions • Incentive/penalty clauses

16. Characteristics that Support Strategy • Contractual arrangements • Achieve win-win situation • Pre-selected, preferred contractor • Reimbursable basis, with incentives • Lump-sum can also be used • Partnering • Up front agreement for payment for changes and extras

17. Characteristics that Support Strategy • Communications • More informal communication - face-to-face • Barriers should be removed - information flows directly between the parties regardless of parent organization and level of hierarchy • Responsibility for communication lies with the individual who has made a decision • Frequency and progress meetings • Frequent and concise reporting.