‘Jua kali’ mentality a threat to viability of prime projects

The term construction project management, mostly referred to as project management and construction management, continues to confuse stakeholders in our built environment and the public alike. I seek to first clarify this; Construction Project Management is the management of projects within the built environment from conception to completion, including management of related professional services. Construction Management on the other hand is the management of the physical construction within the built Environment and includes the co-ordination, administration, and management of resources.

There are different competing thoughts that continue to be advanced, depending on interest, as to the importance of having a project manager on any project, both public and private.

Some say a project manager should only be involved on large projects, though they fail to define the relative term ‘large’. To others the involvement of a project manager should be at the client’s discretion. Regrettably, most of these arguments have been put forward, by other industry professionals, to protect underlying interests. It cannot be excused as ignorance in today’s age; maybe feigned ignorance. 

Why do you need a project manager? Since I began practice as a project manager, one critical lesson I have learnt is that the client is not always right and not all project ideas should proceed to execution. As a rule of thumb; a project should be feasible before you start spending a penny. A good project manager will be able to interrogate your investment idea through the phases of comparative market analysis and feasibility study before an architect draws the first line. Let us be honest, when you first run to an architect with an idea, he will start concept design and by default you have started spending without knowing the feasibility of your idea. 

In most instances, people realise a project is not feasible way into the design and tender stage when expenditure, running into millions of shillings, has occurred. In fact as good practice an architect should design within the framework of a working feasibility save for aesthetics. Projects don’t fail at the end, projects fail in beginning. You need someone to look you in the eye and tell you when your idea is not working as client without the temptation to bag another project. It is not in doubt that we are now endowed with local and international resources to achieve best architectural and engineering designs or even the best bill of quantities. The lingering doubt remains proper management of projects.

Triple constraints

There are ten components of project management required to be undertaking on any project regardless of size namely; integration, time, cost, scope, quality, communication, resource, risk, procurement and stakeholders management. The key important ones that are at times called the triple constraints are time, cost and quality management. To effectively manage these components you need a competent project manager to oversee this.

An architect cannot be the project manager and architect of the same project neither can an engineer or quantity surveyor. Projectmanagement is not a default profession nor does it come overtime to the other construction professionals with experience. Management of projects requires specialised training. We must stop this ‘juakali’ mentality that anyone can manage a project. In fact the miasma we are currently in is a pointer on how poorly our projects are being managed.

Leadership is not important in a project; it is everything. The construction dynamism worldwide is constantly revealing more threats and complexity that requires good project leadership to overcome; a project manager is the answer to guarantee your investment. This is not a choice; it is the only choice. 

-The writer is chairman of Association of Construction Managers of Kenya (nashon.okowa@gmail.com)