Preparing quantity survey students to become successful project managers

Author: Iloka Benneth Chiemelie

Published: 22nd of February 2014

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

In the modern business setting, there is a growing increase for adoption of sustainability in the business process and this is based on the understanding that companies can no longer afford to incur hefty losses, making the need for sustainable development very vital in the present organizational setting. This is the conception behind the developments in the new business environment that is focused on making good use of every resources in the organization to produce goods and services that meet the needs of customers at a reduced price. Efficiency is the same in every business section, and this includes the construction and engineering sector. The need for efficiency is most significant in this sector because it is from such developments that the companies will be able to make more profits. However, just like success in other facets of life, success in the construction industry doesn’t come so easy, as it will need to be built upon a number of factors in order to become achievable. This is where the concept of project management comes into play. Project management basically involves the coordination and proper management of all projects in the business setting, towards meeting the set objectives of such projects. For every project, there is a need for the outcome to be as designed in the project objectives as this will mean less worries for the company in terms of having to incur the associated losses in cases where such outcome is not as expected. On that account, the definition of project management should be done in such a way that it incorporates the elements contained in the designed project in the form of objectives, approaches and time frame. It is only by meeting all these factors that the company will be able to achieve its set goals and as such increase profitability in its system. On that account, it can be seen that project management is very important in the modern engineering and construction industry, making it subsequently important for good project management qualities to be inculcated in quantity surveying students in Malaysia.

1.1 Background of study

There have been a recent increase in the scope of understanding in the field of project management which has shifted from a single subject to a broader understanding of the ways organization adopt project management towards meeting their set corporate goals (Thiry and Deguire, 2007; Gareis, 1989; 2004; Andersen and Jessen, 2003). Cooke-Davies (2004, p. 1) made the notion that the increase interest in project management is based on a broader understanding of the skills and competences of project manager as it influence the project process. This is because project management involves a set of system, processes, structures, and capabilities that are used to boost the organizational performance and the adoption of right project schemes used to support the organization process.

There have been an increase in the adoption of project management in recent years amongst firms, and this is based on the understanding that such approach will offer the firm the needed competence to meet the demands of customers effectively and increase the customer loyalty because these customers will be more willing to buy their brand as a result of previous benefits obtained from such purchase. Links has also been established between project management and benchmarking and competitive advantage (Gareis, 2004). As such, it can easily be seen that project management is an important tool in organizations and this paper will aim to demonstrate the benefits of such in modern firms.

Considering the benefits that project management has been linked with in the above description, the importance of the concept can easily be seen because it is something that deals with increased business profitability through proper management of projects and making sure that these projects meet set objectives. This is because project management has set guidelines that are contained in the project lifecycle, which means that once these lifecycle is complied with, the project manager will be able to deliver efficiency and effectiveness, which is the main factor behind the their success and positive impact on business development.

1.2 Problem statement

The responsibility of project manager as described in literature is built around the understanding that they are responsible for the overall success of delivering the owner’s physical development within the conditions sets on cost, schedule, quality and safety measures. On that account, project manager play vital role not just in the operational aspect of the architectural and engineering construction companies, but they also do the same in the development of infrastructure in every country with respect to the project design phase. From the very first beginning of the 1990s the business climate in the construction industry has changes and this is based on the fact that it observed an unprecedented dynamism in the organizations as response formula for the increase in competition within a stagnant or declining market (Edum-Fotwe and McCaffer, 2000). The emergence of new contracts that are based on design-and-construct as opposed to the more traditional option of an open and competitive tendering for procuring projects, and their wide spread adoption is also having high impact on project managers.

Still on understanding the factors that influences the qualities needed in project managers, the renewed demand for quality, productivity and performance is also serving as the leading factor behind the reason why numerous organizations, with special references to the construction industry begin to question the traditional philosophes and principles associated with their management process and business practices (Hayden, 1996). In the presence of such changes in business climate, it becomes clear that project managers will continue to find themselves being held accountable not only for the technical aspect of the project, but also for the engineering and construction accuracy, reliability of the facility and within-cost performance. Project managers of the modern business setting seem themselves being confronted by numerous issues, and forced to undertake more roles, that have not been traditionally linked with their responsibilities in the project process (Gilleard and Chong, 1996; Shenhar, Levy and Dvir, 1997). Both, Ceran and Dorman (1995) and Russell, Jaselski and Lawrence (1997) have recognized the changes in for consultant project managers and also presented argument that they need to supplement these roles with their traditional function in order to expand their knowledge and skills towards meeting the changes in professional demand for which these project managers are now being held accountable. Edum-Fotwe and McCaffer (2000) also laid emphasis on the importance of project managers having to adopt their project management function with these changes in industry conditions in order to maintain the relevance of these function in the project delivery and well into the future.

Considering the fact that there are experienced changes in the role of project managers, it now becomes clear that these project managers need to accustom themselves with the new skills in order to ensure that they are able to deliver the project as expected of them. On that same account, it was noted that project management is something that has become really important for quantity surveyors and the construction industry as a role. This changes in both responsibilities and approaches is a significant demonstration of the fact that there is a need for project management to be incorporated in the academic discourse and curriculum of quantity surveyor students in order to equip them with the necessary skills required for becoming a successful project manager in the modern business environment. Such an approach will mean a subsequent increase in the confidence level of these new graduates and students in their project management role as they will be more assured of the fact that they have what it takes to become a successful project manager.

1.3 Previous Similar Studies

A number of literatures have looked into understanding the need to integrate project management in the curriculum of modern students (e.g. (Gilleard and Chong, 1996; Shenhar, Levy and Dvir, 1997; Ceran and Dorman, 1995; Russell, Jaselski and Lawrence, 1997), and the argument is in line with the discussion presented above that such an approach will help equip these students with the modern competence needed in order to become a successful project manager.

In the section of the Malaysian academic setting and students, there are also studies that are based on that ground of understanding, with special reference on quantity surveying students and engineering students in general. For instance, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Mahmood, Abdulkareem M. A. Hamidaddin and Dr. Mohd Wira Mohd Shafiei of the School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia conducted a research in 2006 to understand the competences needed by quantity surveying students in order to become quality project managers.

In their study, the authors noted that professionals like architects, civil engineering and quantity surveyors are the main people who provide project management services within the construction industry. Since these professional come from different training and background, they need to have the basic understanding of their responsibilities in the project management setting. As such, there is a need for these professionals to continuously improve their abilities in order to meet the changes in demand for professional today and ensure that they continuously play significant role in the industry, and this improvement needs to come in both the construction aspect and the non-construction aspects of the competencies needed for them to meet the demands of the project they perform. The volume of literatures as contained in the above analysis clearly shows that the concept being reviewed is very significant in the sense that other authors have also recognized the need to understand project management competencies amongst surveyors because they represent the integral aspect of the project management features in the construction industry and as such should be equipped with the necessary skills to ensure that they become quality project managers following their graduation from the field.

1.4 Objective

From the above discussions, the settings of this paper are based on understanding the impact of Malaysian curriculum in producing quality project managers amongst quantity surveyors. The understanding gained from the above analysis is that project management quality is very essential in the construction industry and quantity surveyors represents the key to ensuring that such approach is success as most of their roles involves the project design and development. However, there are changes as noted in the introductory part of this paper, and the changes comes in the approach and processes involved in project management, which now requires project managers to learn new skills and competencies in order to be properly positioned to successful manage projects in the modern business setting. On that account, it becomes important to understand if the curriculum adopted by surveying students in the Malaysian universities is in line with these needs, with respect to whether these curriculum meet the changes and demands required in the modern business setting.

On that account, the objectives of this research paper is to:

1.      Understand the factors necessary for training quality project managers in the modern business environment and the academic world;

2.      Understanding the competencies and qualities needed to become a successful project manager; and

3.      Illustrate whether the Malaysian curriculum are designed to meet these new trends in project management in relation to the fact that only such will be able to ensure that graduates from Malaysian universities become successful project managers.

1.5 Scope of research

Basically form the research objective above, it can be seen that the scope of the study is centred on two elements in the form of the trends in project management, requirements to become successful project manager, and the Malaysian curriculum for surveying students in the university. On that account, this paper will be researched based on these three scopes, with the understanding that such an approach will ensure that the paper meets its set objectives as well as presented a better understanding on the research topic and also enhance application of the findings in the real world setting.

The first scope comes in the form of understanding the trends in project management in the modern business environment. In this section, the paper will review the changes in project management by comparing pasty practices with the present practices. On that account, the changes will be identified, as well as the factors that influence or mitigate these changes. This will be used to present the desired understanding of the trends in project management and also used to measure the curriculums acknowledge and integration of these changes in the academic settings of the Malaysian university as it related to surveying students.

The second comes in the form of the competencies and skills needed by employees in order to meet these changes and become competent managers. It can easily be conceived that since the paper is stating that there are changes in project management, there must be a subsequent need for new skills and competencies form the project managers in order to be able to meet the demands of the new trends.

The third and final scope is based on understanding if the Malaysian curriculum for quantity surveyors meets the new required skills and competence for training students to become quality project managers. In order to elaborate the variables contained in this scope, the paper will focus on two local universities in the form of Taylors College and UTAR. This focus is necessary to ensure that the finding is actually in line with the Malaysian setting as such is the only way in which the objective of understanding how the Malaysian curriculum influences training of competent project managers in the quantity surveying field can be achieved.

1.6 Chapter Organisation

The preceding chapters have been successful in elaborating on the context of this paper and the requirements as well as objectives that the paper is being developed on. On that account, this paper will be divided into 5 chapters in order to ensure that these objectives are achieved and that the paper is actually capable of influencing the business process and the quantity surveying industry positively.

The first chapter of the paper is the introduction. In this chapter, the focus is on laying the right background for understanding the scope of the study, which is the followed by setting the research objectives based on identified backgrounds and scope. Basically, the chapter focuses on presenting a clear understanding of what the paper is all about and how the research will be conducted.

The second chapter is a review of relevant literatures. In this chapter, the focus is on understanding what existing theories say about the research topic and this will be done by presented a review of relevant literatures on the research. The review that will be presented in this chapter will be based on the scopes presented above and centred on the research objectives.

The third chapter is the methodology, which is the section that describes the process to be adopted for the primary research. Primary research is essential in order to understand what the general public think about the theories contained in the literature review, and how important these theories are in relation to real life application.

The fourth and fifth chapter are the data analysis and discussion respectively. These chapter will analyse the data that has been gathered and present a discussion on the data, relating the findings from the primary research with findings from the secondary research in order to arrive at a common based of understanding in relation to the research objectives above.

                                                                      CHAPTER 2:

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

Earlier discussions have shown that project management is an integral aspect of the project process, and it is the field which is responsible for coordinating activities in the project process in order to ensure that the project is delivered to the owner in its physical form, meeting all the elements as contained in the project paper. Additionally, it was noted that there are new trends in project management and this trend is moving towards an increase in the value and conception of project management as it related to acquiring new skills in order for the project managers to be well positioned to meet the changes and demands of the new business environment. On that account, the purpose of this chapter is to understand how true such statements are, by looking into what existing theories and literatures think about the assumptions presented above. On that account, this section will present literatures are they relate to the research scope and objectives discussed in chapter one.

2.2 Management competence

The definition of competence as it relates to project management is presented by the International Project Management Association (IPMA) which defined it as knowledge plus experience and personal attitude. From this definition, it was further stated that knowledge and experience is related to the functions undertaken, while the other side in the form of attitude is concerned with the behaviour of the project manager (IPMA, 2002). Hornby and Thomas (1989) also defined competences as the knowledge, skills and qualities of effective managers, and the ability of these managers to effectively perform the functions that are associated with their management in the settings of the working environment. Another definition presented by Hogg (1993) is that competence deals with the characteristics of the manager, which results in the demonstration of skills and abilities, which subsequently produces effective performance within the working environment.

Competence has been linked to individual behaviour and performance. In relation to the effective performance within a job setting, Boyatzis (1982) presented the statement that effective performance in a job is the achievement of set results that are required by the job through certain actions while also keeping in tab with the policies consistently, and following the procedures and conditions set in the organizational environment. In a more concise elaboration, competence is specific with knowledge, skills, abilities, characteristics, and behaviours that can be used to enhance job performance. It is the definitive characteristic which is used to enable an individual to demonstrate superior performance in a job.

2.3 Project management competency

On the side of project management, competence might be different from its general English definition. Project management competence can be viewed as the capability possessed by the project manager to properly manage projects in a professional way, through the application of best practices that are related to the project design and management process, and through the application of project management methods (Abdullah et al., 2006). Project management competence requires knowledge and experience in order to function properly, and it enables the project to meet its deadline and objectives (Gareis and Huemann, 1999). Project management professionals that work in projects where technical issues are important must have the competence to handle these issues by themselves. They must also be able to identify these issues and be confident that the actions they will take will ensure a solution to these issues. This is because technical issues can cause fault in project or even result in the failure of the project. As such, the right ability to handle these technical issues will mean an increase in the chances for success of a project. However, the issue to be checked on is not only the technical aspect, there is also a need to understand the none technical aspect and ensure that it doesn’t influence the project outcome negatively (Gareis and Huemann, 1999). Competence in project management is achieved through the combination of education gained in the university, experience and knowledge gained during training process, skills that are developed as part of the experience, and application of such acquired knowledge and experience in the management settings.

2.4 Importance of identifying project management competencies

Abdullah et al. (2006) noted that a competence-based approach in education and training raises the right curtain of opportunity for identifying and developing people with the right competence required for performing the job they are designated to perform. Such situations can also be created in the organizational setting for improving the knowledge and skills of individual, and as such improving the competitiveness and productivity of the organization that these individual work in. Boam and Sparrow (1992) presented their own view of the importance of identifying project management competence on the account that it would allow for:

• 1.      a common language system to convey the nature of effective performance;
• 2.      facilitating self-assessment and development;
• 3.      providing a basis for coaching and training;
• 4.      providing an essential tool for developing the business culture;
• 5.      providing a tool for building a successful team;
• 6.      Providing a method for identifying the implications for job and organizational design.

2.5 Project lifecycle

Ngoc (2010) presented the definition of project lifecycle as different phases contained in a project process that is adopted for the purpose of operating, managing and controlling processes in the project in order to ensure that the purpose of the project is achieved at the end. Project lifecycle comes in different forms depending on the project and the approaches adopted by the project manager, but the fact is that irrespective of the differences in forms, similarities exist in relation to the approaches that will be adopted in order to ensure that the project process becomes a success. This similarities is established in the form of common outcomes from the project process.

The common outcomes from all forms of project lifecycle are as presented below (Ngoc, 2010):

• 1.      There is a need to determine the required technical works at each stages of the project.
• 2.      When each phase is expected to produce outcome, and how such outcomes are reviewed, verified and updated.
• 3.      The personnel involved in each stage and the responsibilities of these personnel.
• 4.      Project inspection, control and approval.
• The characteristics of project lifecycle based on the understanding presented above can be seen to vary in relation to the form of project, but a number of features exist in all projects irrespective of the form of project and they include:
• 1.      Projects have phases that followed defined sequences, transitions and made through the transfer of technical attributes from the project design.
• 2.      During the beginning and ending phases, cost and staffing are generally lower, while the same variables are at their peak during the intermediate level of the project process.
• 3.      The level of certainty increases with an increase in progress rather than just basing judgement on the beginning phase of the project.
• 4.      The influence of shareholders is higher at the beginning and generally decreases as the project continues to progress.

Figure 1.Typical project Cost and Staffing level during the project life cycle

Source as adapted from: Ngoc (2010).

Figure 2. Stakeholder’s Influence over time

Source as adapted from: Ngoc (2010).

2.6 Four phases of project management lifecycle

Four main elements have been defined by Dr. Walter Shewhart in the American Society for Quality press in 1999: plan, do, check, act (American Society for Quality Handbook, 2nd Edition) that make up the phases involved in the management of project. While these elements have been differentiated, the fact is that they are interactive in nature in the sense that the ending of any given elements gives birth to the second elements. The project can’t be a success without a careful and successful integration of these elements as they are the background from which the whole project process is enhanced significantly. For instance, the end of the initializing process will introduce the planning while execution follows up planning and the project is subsequently closed up after planning.

Figure 3: Four Phase of Project Management Lifecycle

Source as adapted from: The George Washington University (2013)

The above diagram supports the argument on project lifecycle and the indication presented is that while the elements that make up a project lifecycle are different in terms of the factors, process and approaches they represent, they can actually interrelated to each other and directly influence each other. For instance, there won’t be any closing if the project is not executed as planned from the initialization.

2.6.1 Initialization stage

As identified by (Ngoc, 2010), every project process starts with the initialization which is the stage at which the project charter and scope are developed. The initialization basically involves the generation of ideas on how the project will look like and making proposal to the respective shareholders that have keen interest in the project.

Ideas that will be generated just like the project lifecycle will vary in the sense that there are numerous projects setting that are designed to fulfil the needs of customers. Generally, the generation of idea begins with understanding the needs of customers. Economic concepts are of the notion that human needs are unlimited while the resources that can be used to meet these needs are limited. On that account, it can also be stated that ideas of new project design are unlimited as it can be done in order to satisfy any of the unlimited human needs.

Once the needs has been identified, the initialization will also seek to understand the design charter and project scope, which will be the background used to develop the proposal in a way that the project can satisfy necessary needs upon complete and also return significant financial value to the investors that will provide the necessary funds required to make the project a success.

2.6.2 Planning phase

In the planning stage, the purpose is to identify, develop and nurture the resources provided in such a way that it would be capable of meeting the set project objectives. The planning phase of any project involves putting together all elements in the project process in order to ensure that all the processes are undertaken in a well-defined approach that involves the . Many authors are of the opinion that the planning phase of a phase of a project doesn’t just occur at the beginning of the project but instead is a continuous process with every single progress made (see Cleland, 1994; Gareis, 1992; Firth and Krut, 1991; Chaffey, 1997; Maylor, 2001). Planning is very important in the project setting and this is based on the understanding that it sets the right format for every aspect of the project and predefines all approaches that will be adopted in order to ensure that the project becomes a success. Planning also helps to control the project by applying necessary progress measurement instruments that will be used to determine how far the company is moving in relation to set objective and define weight progress in relation to the time frame.

Basically, the success of any given project depends heavily on the planning phase as this phase of the project clearly highlights what is expected at each stage with any subsequent increase in progress and the people that will undertake the activities in this stage. The outcome is that chances of success are enhanced.

2.6.3 Execution phase

Once the project has been initialized and planed, the next aspect involves executing the project based on the defined guideline. Execution as its name implies involves the process of putting all the plans into action and producing the designed project. Without the execution, all the initialization and planning are irrelevant because it is the execution phase that brings forth the potential for the project managers to meet set objectives. Execution phase is the centre of the project development and all resources made available for the project are employed at this phase.

In the project execution, high risk is reoccurring with all aspects of the project process undertakings and the project manager needs to evaluation all the activities going on in order to ensure that the project process is always in line with set objectives. Lack of such will endanger the whole project and it can yield a subsequent decrease in the potential of the project to achieve its set objectives.

2.6.4 Monitoring and controlling phase

The need to ensure that the project process is in line with set objectives has been highlighted in the execution phase discussed above. Ngoc (2010) also pointed out that the success of any project depends significantly on the monitoring and control aspect of the project. Unlike other phases in project lifecycle, the monitoring and control aspect is reoccurring with every new development in the project. This is because resources are employed at different phases and it is important to monitor how these resources are employees in order to reduce wastage and utilize the full potential of all employed resources.

Control comes in the form of ensuring that all resources are used for the purpose which they have been designed for, while the monitoring aspects is a form of review to understand how the employed resources have significantly impacted on the project lifecycle towards meeting the set project objectives. During the monitoring process, if the resources have been found to yield little influence, the project manager can then monitor the factors behind such and implement the right approach to ensure that all the negative influence are controlled and the potential for success enhanced.

2.6.5 Closing and transfer phase

Earlier discussions pointed out that the funds for projects are normally powered by the shareholders that have high interest in the project as a source of further financial profitability. As such, it is expected that once the project has been completed, it will be closed and transferred to the respective people that it has been designed for. The transfer of project normally comes through a contractual agreement where the shareholder accepts that the project has been able to meet the set objectives as agreed with the project manager. This section represents the pinnacle of success as it means that all the project phases have been achieved and a project that is capable of meeting new needs successfully developed.

2.7 Interaction of the four phases in project lifecycle

The project management phases are interconnected through the objectives they are designed to produce. This is because; the output of one phase is the input of another. One of the basic characteristic of project management is the discrete identification of all processes as they overlap and interact closely with each other during certain period in the project phase. If the project is divided into phases, the process group may interact with one of the phases or across phases. As stated earlier, every project is different in relation to the purpose of such projects, characteristics, organization and other factors. Thus, the management process of project lifecycles are operated based on these varying attributes. This level of interaction is as illustrated below.

Figure 4: Process groups interact in a project

Source as adapted from: Ngoc (2010)

2.8 Duty of project manager in construction industry

Based on the analysis above, it can be seen that the functions or perhaps the responsibilities of project managers have been identified in the construction industry as Ngoc (2010) stated. This is based on the understanding that there are four phase in a project lifecycle and these phases determine what the project managers are expected to do. These phases are as explained below.

2.8.1 Planning – it is the duty of project managers in the construction industry to plan the whole project process and determine how the project will be undertaken. The planning process man involves the project design, determination of the require resources, budget and amount of manpower needed for the project process to be completed and even how the project will be undertaken as well as the date for completion. The project manager needs to ensure that all process in the project design and execution are fully planned and stick with the planned process in order for the project to become a success.

2.8.2 Execute – once the planning process has been completed, the next is the execution process and it is also the responsibility of the project manager to execute the project process. The execution process involves meeting the project objective. For every project, there is a designed objective in the project process and will be used to determine whether the project is a success or not. This measurement of success or failure is based on the understanding that once the project objectives are met, then the project process is a success or if the project objectives are not meet, then the project process is a failure. The project manager has the responsibility of executing the project process.

2.8.3 Control – during the process of executing the project, a number of factors needs to be controlled in order to ensure that the project process becomes a success. These factors can include the employment of workers, the control of the project process and ensuring that all steps are in line as planned. This is the responsibility of the project manager as it would allow the project manager to ensure that the project process is a success.

2.8.4 Transfer – basically, projects are undertaken for the respective shareholders that provided the funds used to undertake the project. The process of undertaking a project is usually based on a build and transfer (B&T) strategy in which the project manager is made available with the funds required to make the project a success, and the project manager completes the project, then transfers the completed project to the respective shareholders that funded the project process. This is also the responsibility of the project manager as the project manager is usually the one who goes into contract with the respective shareholders, so they need to transfer the finished project to the shareholders.

2.9 Education of Quantity Surveying courses in local universities (Taylors and UTAR)

Zakaria et al (2008) conducted a study to illustrate the Malaysian quantity surveying education framework, and the analysis in this section will be based on a similar ground from which they conducted their studies. There have been rapid developments in the Malaysian higher education on a general aspect and with special reference to the surveying education platform (Chua, 2000). As a result of the rapid changes and diversification in both the professional and practical aspect of the construction industry, and this relevance has been an increase in the need to produce highly skilled and qualified graduates that are competent and capable of meeting the challenges as well as the increasing demand experienced in the profession.

Zakaria et al (2008) also noted the traditional responsibilities of quantity surveyors in the country as including the following roles and functions:

• 1.      Providing the estimates during the initial stages of the project process and for the project initiators;
• 2.      Preparing the Bill of Quantities based on information from the architectural, engineering and specialist drawings;
• 3.      Presenting a description of the materials, labour and quantities of such needed; and
• 4.      Analysing the tenders, preparing and analysing cost data and performing contract administration that includes the evaluation of the interim payments to contractors, differences in assess and claims and settling the contract account [Khairuddin, 2002]

In any case, with an increase in complexity and size, it has now become apparent that numerous quantity surveyors have started to diversify into production of projects and building management services (John, 2002). These new roles and functions in the construction industry has been described as multi-disciplinary in nature becomes it brings a number of field together in order to become achievable. As such, the present study of quantity surveying in the Malaysian setting now includes fields such as law, economics, management, administration, technology, ICT, manufacturing, operational research, mathematics and a number of other features. This diversification is basically as a result of changes in the role of quantity surveyors as described earlier and the Malaysian setting in the sense that universities have recognized the need to meet these changes are imputing the very best of their efforts to redesign the program structure. This can be seen in the case of Taylor University Malaysia where it was noted that the:

“The programme focuses on the teaching of measurement of building elements, the core skill in Quantity Surveying education and practice. Measurement is a multi-disciplinary subject supported by numerical proficiency and construction knowledge. Emphasis is also placed on training to improve the students' technical, management and personal development skills, which provides them with the opportunity to absorb a wider range of knowledge; the ability to adapt to various conditions; and to solve problems creatively and innovatively. Graduates of this programme will understand how the interrelationship between economics, technology, management and law can be used to add value to the financial and procurement management of construction projects (Taylors University Malaysia, 2013).”

The above description above is basically what is obtainable in UTAR as well in term of construction and surveying study, and the scope is basically based on broadening the overall understanding of the subject and expanding the course outline in order to align it with new frames that will allow for the students to be well versatile in both management and technical studies.

2.10 Conclusion

 From the above analysis, a number of findings have been made and they are in the form that there is a growing increase of inter-disciplinary features being inculcated in the field of quantity survey and this is because the responsibility of quantity surveys are expanding in the market, which now ranges from just having to design the project to actually managing the project towards completion. As such, it becomes important to understand the features being integrated by schools towards ensuring that their students are well equipped with the skills for the new project management capability. The revelation which is based on Taylors University and UTAR, both Malaysian higher institutions shows that such scope is the new dimension in modern University curriculum as the two schools have broadened their curriculum

CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 CHAPTER INTRODUCTION

The research methodology is all about the concept and method adopted in conducting the primary research. As stated earlier, this paper will involve both secondary research and primary research. The secondary research is only used as a support for the primary research. Thus, this paper is mainly based on primary research. In that case, this section will include an analysis and overview of all methods and factors adopted in the primary research. It includes the way the data will be gathered, analysed and presented; software to be used for the data analysis; questionnaire design and approach; how the hypotheses will be proved; and documentation of finding from the data analysis.

3.2 RESEARCH PURPOSE

The purpose of this research is to understand the design of curriculum in the University for Students studying quantity surveying in Malaysia towards training them to become quality and efficient surveyors upon graduation by equipping them with the necessary skills that are common in the modern surveying world.

3.3 RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY

The major philosophies for this research are quality, reliability, and applicability. This implies that the data for this research will be gathered from reliable responders that are deemed capable of understanding the questionnaire and responding in their true ingenuity and reasonability. Quality and reliability are without a doubt a determining factor as a result of the fact that this study deals with understanding how the future is shaped with present practices in the Malaysian Universities.

3.4 RESEARCH APPROACH

The research approach is quantities. The implication is that the research will be based on questionnaire and survey. In a qualitative research, the researcher prepares questionnaire that contains the questions which have been designed to handle the issue in hand, then the respondents are given the opportunity to present their view about the issue by rating based on point-scale as contained in the questionnaire. The purpose is to allow the responders to present their own view about the situation in hand, then the research will analyse the finding with software in order to determine the issue that lays the highest level of significance on the problem being studied.

3.5 RESEARCH STRATEGY

This research will be intercept based and face-to-face study. This implies that the questionnaire will be distributed directly to the intended audience by the interviewer, and the interviewer will take extra time to sit down and guide the responder through the whole questions, as well as obtained their deep thought about the whole variables loaded into the paper.  This is the best strategy because considering the fact that this is more like a social research designed to understand the influence of curriculum on the performance of students from the quantity surveying department after a successful graduation. Thus, the approach is unique and significant in the sense that it allows interviewers to have a one-on-one experience with responders and as such improve their analysis of response because they will have a clear understanding of response pattern from interaction with respondents.

3.6 TIME HORIZONS

The data gathering consumed a period of 10 days (2 working weeks). The reason is because the data was gathered from two different schools and as such one week was allocated for each of the University.

3.7 RESEARCH METHODS

The methods adopted for data collection and analysis is as described below.

3.7.1 SAMPLE AND DATA COLLECTION

The data for this study was gathered through e-survey. Questionnaire where sent to the responder through email and their responses gathered through the same forum. Understanding that the responders might experience difficulties in the process of presenting their view on the questionnaire meant that the researcher had to dedicate extra time to attend to questions from responders.

3.7.2 INSTRUMENTATION

For this survey, the main instrument loaded into the question is the new curriculum as compared with the old curriculum in terms of the added courses that reflect the changes in the responsibilities of quantity surveyors in order to understand how the new curriculum will help them to become better quantity surveyors in the future.

3.7.3 RESPONDERS’ PROFILE

The responders for this study include professional engineers. The respondents were chosen based on the criterion that they are presently employed in engineering companies or in engineering field during the period of the study.  The justification is based on the understanding that these respondents are better positioned to have a clear view of what the research is all about and impact positively on the research by presenting responses that are based on personal experience and work experience as well.

3.8 DATA MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS

For this paper, the measurement will come in the form of a 5-point likert’s scale measurement in the order of “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree” on a 1-5 point rating that will be used to test how the respondents feel about the questions asked. The gathered data will be analysed with SPSS statistical data analysis system which is the most widely used and reliable tool for research analysis. Once the results have been obtained, all the variables loaded into the questionnaire will be individually analysed in order to understand how they influence the research process towards meeting the set objectives of this research paper.

3.9 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

In the process of conducting the primary research, a number of issues came into focus and was addressed in order to ensure that the quality of the paper is maintained. The fact is that all primary researches come with given hit-backs in terms of factors that limit the potential of these studies to meet set research objectives. On that account, looking into these issues is considered important in order to understand how they will be managed. The issues include:

Suggestion of response – normally, the research can make suggestion of response or influence the response pattern in such a way that the data being gathered is geared towards meeting set research objectives. However, this is unethical and it was highly avoided in the paper as respondents were left to answer the questionnaire on their own and their complication were address with precise answers that doesn’t influence their response pattern in any form.

Manipulation of gathered data –even when the responders present their genuine answer, the researcher can still manipulate these answers in the course of analysis in order to ensure it meets set objectives. This is not applicable in this setting and it was significantly avoided as the researcher understand the important of ethical analysis. 

CHAPTER 4

DATA ANALYSIS

Introduction

From the chapter 3 above, indications where made as to how the primary research will be conducted and issues that the research needs to address in order to make the research a success. Based on such guidelines, the primary research was conducted in order to understand the responsibilities of project manager, skills required from project managers, and the current subject pattern in the institutions that relates to project management in order to better meet the changing needs for new skills that project managers need to be accustomed with in order to succeed in the present business settings. On that account, the focus of this chapter is to conduct an analysis of the findings from the primary research and used them to build a better understanding of the focus of the paper and define new dimensions in the field of project management.

Test of reliability

The first issue that needs to be looked into is to reveal whether the gathered data are reliable as such will determine the level of impact it can yield in the research project as well as the field of study. The most commonly used tool for testing the reliability of data is the Cronbach’s Alpha that was invented by Lee Cronbach in 1956. From the test, it is generally agreed by researchers that any figure above 0.50 is considered reliable, while those below are considered unreliable in the case where the higher the value obtained, the higher the reliability of data used to obtain that value.

Table 4.1: Test of reliability

Case Processing Summary
		N	%
Cases	Valid	50	100.0
	Excludeda	0	.0
	Total	50	100.0
a. Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.

Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha	N of Items
.567	29

Based on the account recorded on reliability above, it can be seen that the gathered data in this research is considered reliable. This is because it not only meets the expected value of 0.50, but actually exceeds it with its real value of 0.567 that can actually be approximated to be 0.60. On that account, it can be stated easily that the data from this research is reliable and it will influence the whole research process positively.

Demographic analysis

Figure 4.1

The first approach is to conduct a demographic analysis of the responders in order to understand their qualities and how such features will impact on the research. From the above analysis, it is clear that all the responders fall within the field of quantity surveying, project management and academician and this is significant in the sense that it would serve as the right field that will allow them to present a clear view on the research questions. Project managers have the experience; quantity surveyors have the experience and expertise, while the academicians are the one who design the curriculum used to train the students in the university.

Figure 4.2:

From the understanding above which shows that all the responders are in professions that will have significant influence on the research process, the above table illustrates that these respondents have been in this project for a very long time as most of them have being in the profession for over 5 years. The implication is that the respondents are better positioned with such experience to understand the changes that have occurred in the field over the years and review whether these changes have been reflected in the present academic curriculum used to train project managers in Malaysia.

Figure 4.3:

Another factor that will influence the significance of the research comes in the form of the academic qualification of the respondents. Basically, this is because there might be differences in terms of academic feature in different level of education and as such it is important to understand the level of education attained by the responders and its influence in the whole research process.

Descriptive analysis

In this section, the focus will be to analyse all the variables loaded into the research individually and this will be done by specifying the responsibilities of project managers, required skills that project managers need to acquire and the subject that are commonly taught in the project management courses in Malaysian universities.

Responsibilities of project managers

Earlier discussion in the review of literatures it was noted that the roles and responsibilities of project managers are changing as a result of changes in the present economy and this section of the paper seeks to understand these changes in relation to what the respondents have notices and how it influences the project management functions.

Table 4.2:

Prepae project briefÂ
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	3	6.0	6.0	6.0
	Neutral	4	8.0	8.0	14.0
	Agree	9	18.0	18.0	32.0
	totally agree	34	68.0	68.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

The literature review identified project planning and briefing as a responsibility of project managers and the responders agree with that as 89% of the responder agree with that statement and this is significant in the sense that it helps to define the project purpose and maintain the defined objective in the workforce by constantly communicating the project value through further briefings.

Table 4.3:

Advise on budget or funding arrangement
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	totally disagree	5	10.0	10.0	10.0
	Disagree	1	2.0	2.0	12.0
	Neutral	3	6.0	6.0	18.0
	Agree	4	8.0	8.0	26.0
	totally agree	37	74.0	74.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

41 out of the total of 50 respondents that participated in the research agree that it is also the responsibility of project managers to make necessary advice on budget and funding. This was not clearly defined in the review of literature and it becomes a new dimension in the field with the high volume of responders that concur to such statement.

Table 4.4:

Advise on site acquisition, grants and planning
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	1	2.0	2.0	2.0
	Neutral	6	12.0	12.0	14.0
	Agree	10	20.0	20.0	34.0
	totally agree	33	66.0	66.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

This is similar with the two tables above in the forms of table 4.2 and 4.3 and the implication is that it is the responsibility of project managers to make necessary advice about the site acquisition, grants and planning process as they also have the responsibility of ensuring that the project outcome is as set in the project objective that has been predefined in the planning phase of the project.

Table 4.5:

[Select project team members
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	totally disagree	5	10.0	10.0	10.0
	Disagree	5	10.0	10.0	20.0
	Neutral	3	6.0	6.0	26.0
	Agree	8	16.0	16.0	42.0
	totally agree	29	58.0	58.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.6:

Participate in contractor selection
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	totally disagree	3	6.0	6.0	6.0
	Disagree	5	10.0	10.0	16.0
	Neutral	3	6.0	6.0	22.0
	Agree	4	8.0	8.0	30.0
	totally agree	35	70.0	70.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.7:

Monitor progress
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	6	12.0	12.0	12.0
	Neutral	3	6.0	6.0	18.0
	Agree	8	16.0	16.0	34.0
	totally agree	33	66.0	66.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

The above tables 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7 reveal that 74%, 78% and 82% of the respondents agree that it is also the role of the project manager to select team member, participate in selection of contractors, and monitor the progress of the project. These functions have also been identified earlier in the review of literature as the functions of project managers and as such this finding is a support to theories that already exist with that view.

Table 4.8 :

Organize communication or reporting systems
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	totally disagree	3	6.0	6.0	6.0
	Disagree	7	14.0	14.0	20.0
	Neutral	2	4.0	4.0	24.0
	Agree	16	32.0	32.0	56.0
	totally agree	22	44.0	44.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.9:

Monitor budget and variation orders
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	totally disagree	6	12.0	12.0	12.0
	Disagree	4	8.0	8.0	20.0
	Neutral	5	10.0	10.0	30.0
	Agree	15	30.0	30.0	60.0
	totally agree	20	40.0	40.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Other functions or project managers that have been identified in this research comes in the form of organizing communication in the project process and monitoring the budget as 36 and 35 out of the total respondents of 50 agree with such statement.

Table 4.10:

Develop maintenance programme and staff training
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	totally disagree	4	8.0	8.0	8.0
	Disagree	4	8.0	8.0	16.0
	Neutral	5	10.0	10.0	26.0
	Agree	11	22.0	22.0	48.0
	totally agree	26	52.0	52.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.11:

Organize handover and occupation
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Neutral	12	24.0	24.0	24.0
	Agree	6	12.0	12.0	36.0
	totally agree	32	64.0	64.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

The last two variables loaded into the research towards understanding the responsibilities of project managers comes in the form of project managers developing maintenance schemes, and organizing the process of employment and handovers in the project process. As illustrated in the table 4.10 and 4.11 respectively, it can be seen that 74% and 74% of the total responders agree with these statement. While the review of literature showed that it is the responsibility of project managers runs down to controlling the project process, there was no clear definition of the two variables being analysed in this case and the implication is that new dimensions are developed with these variables being discussed.

Skills needed to become a successful project manager

Having discussed the responsibilities of project managers above, this section will look to understand the skills that are required in order for quantity surveyors to become successful in the project management field.

Table 4.12:

Communication
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	3	6.0	6.0	6.0
	Neutral	5	10.0	10.0	16.0
	totally agree	42	84.0	84.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.13:

Planning and organizing
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Agree	8	16.0	16.0	16.0
	totally agree	42	84.0	84.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.15

Co-ordination
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Agree	11	22.0	22.0	22.0
	totally agree	39	78.0	78.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.16:

Controlling
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	4	8.0	8.0	8.0
	Neutral	5	10.0	10.0	18.0
	totally agree	41	82.0	82.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.17:

[Leadership
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	totally disagree	4	8.0	8.0	8.0
	Disagree	2	4.0	4.0	12.0
	Neutral	1	2.0	2.0	14.0
	Agree	9	18.0	18.0	32.0
	totally agree	34	68.0	68.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.18:

Motivation
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Disagree	6	12.0	12.0	12.0
	Neutral	5	10.0	10.0	22.0
	Agree	4	8.0	8.0	30.0
	totally agree	35	70.0	70.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.19:

[Judgement
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	totally disagree	6	12.0	12.0	12.0
	totally agree	44	88.0	88.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Table 4.20:

Initiative
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Agree	9	18.0	18.0	18.0
	totally agree	41	82.0	82.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

Earlier in the review of literature, it was stated that a number of skills have now emerged as a must have in the project management industry in order for quantity surveyors to become successful project managers. This was loaded into the research process and it can be see that the responders agree with these qualities. From all the tables presented from table 4.13 to table 4.20, the respondents agree that there are must have skills for quantity surveyors to become successful project managers and these skills include: communication, planning, controlling, coordination, leadership, motivation, initiate, and judgement.

A view of curriculum of students majoring in quantity survey

The final analysis to be presented in this paper is the understanding of what the curriculum currently adopted in the Malaysian universities for quantity surveyors look like and how it reflects on the new skills required to become success project managers as discussed above.

4.21:

Project Management
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Yes	45	90.0	90.0	90.0
	No	5	10.0	10.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

4.22:

Construction Technology
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	yes	40	80.0	80.0	80.0
	No	10	20.0	20.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

4.23:

Building Materials
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	yes	46	92.0	92.0	92.0
	No	4	8.0	8.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

4.24:

Measurement
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	yes	50	100.0	100.0	100.0

4.25

Economics of Construction Industry
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	yes	37	74.0	74.0	74.0
	No	13	26.0	26.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

4.26

Contract Administration
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	yes	46	92.0	92.0	92.0
	No	4	8.0	8.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

4.27

Construction Law
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	yes	50	100.0	100.0	100.0

4.28

Financial Management
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	yes	50	100.0	100.0	100.0

4.29:

Do you like to deal with Quantity Surveying based project manager?
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	yes	44	88.0	88.0	88.0
	No	6	12.0	12.0	100.0
	Total	50	100.0	100.0

A closer looking of the variables loaded into understanding the course structure of students in the quantity survey faculty in Malaysian universities. These factors where loaded as the skills needed to become a successful project and linked to the analysis of the responsibilities of project managers. The purpose of this section as stated earlier is to understand how these variables have been loaded into the curriculum design for project managers. The finding shows that Malaysian universities have been successful in loading these variables into their curriculum as the respondents acknowledged that they have learned about the necessary courses that would enhance their project management capabilities in their respective universities.

                                                                       CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

The purpose of this paper was clearly stated in the introductory page of the paper as being to understand the factors that influences quantity surveying students to become successful project managers upon graduation and how these Malaysian universities have loaded these elements in their curriculum design. On that account, a review of literature was conducted in order to identify the views that exist in literatures about the topic of discussion. Such an understanding is considered necessary because it would build the right rock from which the whole primary research will be developed and the purpose of the research achieved as well.

Based on the discussion above, the primary research was developed to understanding the responsibilities of project managers, necessary skills required to become successful project managers and the curriculum design of project management courses. The finding reveals that the roles of project managers include planning, executing, controlling and transferring the project process as contained in the numerous functions loaded into the question to understanding whether these roles are actually a clear reflection of what is expected from project managers. Still on that account, it was found that project managers in the modern business setting need to possess vast skills that will allow them to perform these functions. Further revelations also showed that Malaysian universities have identified these changes and loaded them in training of their quantity surveying students and this can be reflected in the case of curriculum design by Taylors University as presented in the review of literature and the findings from the primary research. In conclusion, it will be stated that project management has changed features and as such it now means that project managers need to learn and acquire new skills in order to become successful, and Malaysian Universities have loaded these skills in training quantity surveyor students in their various institutions.

REFERENCES

Andersen, E.S. and Jessen, S.A. (2003), “Project maturity in organizations”, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 21, pp. 457-61.

Bedelian, HM. (1996). Successful major projects in a changing industry. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Civil Engineering, 114, August, 117-123. Abstract-ScienceDirect Navigator IAbstract-Compendex.

Boam, R. and Sparrow, P. (1992), Designing and Achieving Competency. A Competency-based Approach to Developing People and Organization, McGrawHill, London.

Boyatzis, RE. (1982). The Competent Manager: A Model for Effective Performance, John Wiley, New York, NY.

Ceran, T. and Dorman, AA (1995). The complete project manager. Journal of Architectural Engineering 1 2, pp. 67-72. Abstract-Compendex.

Chaffey, N. (1997), “Get your organisation fit for project delivery – build a projects culture”, Project, October, pp. 10-12.

Cheetham, Graham and Chivers, Geoff (1996). Towards a holistic model of professional competence. Journal ofEuropean Industrial Training. Pp. 20-30.

CIDB (2002). CIDB's Suggested, "CPC Competency Profile Chart" For Construction Project Manager. Construction Industry Development Board, Malaysia.

CIOB (1996). CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT. The Chartered Institute OfBuilding: (2nd Ed.), UK.

Cleland, D.I. (1994), “A personal perspective of MPM”, Project Management Journal, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 6-7.

Cooke-Davies, T.J. (2004), “Project management maturity models”, in Morris, P.W.G. and Pinto, J.K. (Eds), The Wiley Guide to Managing Projects, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 1234-64.

Edum-Fotwe' F. T. And McCaffer, R. (March, 2000). Developing project management competency: perspectives from the construction industry. International Journal of Project Management, Volume 18, Issue 2, Pages 111-124.

Firth, G. and Krut, R. (1991), “Introducing a project management culture”, European Management Journal, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 437-43.

Gareis, R and Huemman, M. (1999), Specific Competencies in the Project-oriented Society, Project Management Days '99: Projects and Competencies, Vienna, 1819 November.

Gareis, R. (1989), “Management by projects: the management approach for the future”, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 7, pp. 243-9.

Gareis, R. (1992), “Management of networks of projects”, AACE Transactions, Vol. J, pp. J.1.1-J.1.6.

Gareis, R. (2004), “Management of the project-oriented company”, in Morris, P.W.G. and Pinto, J.K. (Eds), The Wiley Guide to Managing Projects, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 123-43.

Gilleard, JD. And Chong, WS. (1996). New challenges from Hong Kong's new airport. In: Langford DA, Retik A, editors. The Organization and Management of Construction: Shaping Theory and Practice, 2. Spon, London, pp. 767-777.

Hayden, BJr. (1996). Learning on the jagged edge. Journal of Management in Engineering, ASCE 121, pp. 23-25. Abstract-Compendex.

Hogg, B. (1993), "European managerial competences", European Business Review, Vol. 93 No.2, pp. 21-6.

Hornby, D. and Thomas, R. (1989), "Towards a better standard of management", Personnel Management, Pan, London.

IPMA (2002), International Competence Baseline, International Project Management Association, available at: www.ipma.ch/certification.html.

Levene, R.J. and Braganza, A. (1996), “Controlling the work scope in organisational transformation: a programme management approach”, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 14 No. 6, pp. 331-9.

Maylor, H. (2001), “Beyond the Gantt chart: project management moving on”, European Management Journal, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 92-100.

Ngoc, S. (2010), “Project Management: Supplier Conference.” Available at: http://publications.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/10826/Thesis%20-%20Final.pdf?sequence=1 [Accessed on: 24-03-2013].

Pelligrinelli, S. and Bowman, C. (1994), “Implementing strategy through projects”, Long Range Planning, Vol. 27 No. 4, pp. 125-32.

PMI (2000). A GUIDE TO THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE (PMBOK). Project Management Institute-Standards Committee, U.S.

Russell, J.S., Jaselski, E.J., and Lawrence, S.P. (1997). Continuous assessment of project performance. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 123 1, Pp. 64-71.

Shenhar, AJ., Levy, O. And Dvir, D. (1997). Mapping the dimensions of Project Success. Project Management Journal 28 2, pp. 5-15.

The George Washington University (2013), “Project Management Lifecycle (PMLC).” Available at: http://financeoffice.gwu.edu/bmag/pmlc/documents/pdfs/Project%20Management%20PMLC%20Training%20Section%202.pdf [Accessed on: 24-03-2013].

Thiry, M. and Deguire, M. (2007), “Recent developments in project-based organisations”, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 25, pp. 649-58.

Thomsett, Rob. (1993) Third Wave Project Management: A Handbook for Managing the Complex Information Systems for the 1990s. pp. 6, 7-8.

Turner, J.R. (1993), “Editorial”, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 11 No. 4, p. 195.

Volckmann, R, (1997). The fourth constraint: relationships. PM Network, May, pp. 15-16.