Project management function entails the following elements during the project life cycle:
- Scope management-this ensures that the activities of the project are only limited to those that result in the realization of the objectives of the project
- Time management- this ensures that the period allocated to the project is utilized adequately
- Cost management- this ensures that all costs incurred fall within the available financial resources
- Quality management- this ensures that the quality of the project is as specified in the objectives and utilizes the available resources effectively and efficiently.
- Human Resources management-the identification of skills required, the selection of personnel, their motivation and welfare
- Communications management- this ensures that all stakeholders of the project are well informed and that all lessons learnt from the project are well documented
- Supply management- the identification, sourcing of supplies and logistics management
- Integration management- It is necessary that all stakeholders should desire success from the project
Shs “29 billion project messed up” article
End result
The end result of the project is establishing, upgrading and rehabilitating of health centers
Customer of the project
The customer of the project is the general public. This is indicated in the article that, the Central Government gave districts money …..
Possible objectives
The possible objectives of the project are:
- To ensure that there is a basic health centre in every parish
- To ensure that there is a maternity unit in every sub county
- To ensure that there is a mini- hospital, capable of surgical operations, in every county
- To ensure that there is a house for the medical officer in-charge of the mini-hospital
Probable implementation methodology
The Central Government through the Ministry of Health gives the local governments the architectural design, financial resources and other specifications e.g. timescale required for the construction of the health centres.
The local government procures technical services through tendering and bidding process.
The local government selects the best bidder and awards the tender to construct the health centre. The local Government provides technical personnel to supervise the construction, in addition to the supervisors of the construction firm, during implementation.
The construction firm receives the architectural design and other specifications required for the project. The firm constructs the health centres as specified, supervises the work done and makes adjustments accordingly. On completion, the construction firm hands over the building to the local government.
The technical personnel of local government measures and assesses the building against the set standards, if these are met, certification is done and payment approved. The local government then receives the building.
Incase the building does not meet the set standards, it is returned to the construction firm to make the necessary adjustments. Payment is then withheld until the necessary adjustments are made.
The local government then hands over the health centres to the District Medical officer
The shs 29 billion project was a success because of the following reasons:
- It meets most of the project objectives which include: to ensure that there is a basic health center in every parish, a maternity unit in every sub-county and a mini-hospital with a theatre and a doctor’s house in every county.
- It was done within the financial budget – there is no indication in the article that the project exceeded the set budget. Adequate utilization of available resources is an indicator of a successful project
However as indicated in the article, there has been construction work done that is below standards though the extent of this problem has not yet been determined. Thus regardless of the fact that the project has been a success, the work done has been substandard.
Suggestions to enhance achievement of expectations:
- Proper definition of a project – the need has to be accurately defined, also the client has to be correctly identified. Information used for project definition has to be firm and accurate
- Proper planning must be done for a project to be successful. During this phase, project objectives are set. Proper planning ensures that realistic objectives are set, as a result improving project outcomes.
- Human resource function ensures that personnel with the required multidisplinary skills are able to work together to achieve expected outcomes. Good human resources management ensures that the selected personnel are well motivated so that they are highly productive.
- Adequate scope definition ensures that available limited resources are utilized only for activities related to the achievement of the project’s outcomes.
- Effective monitoring and control during the implementation phase. This involves the measurement and assessment of project progress against the expected outcomes
- Flexibility in the planning and implementation phases. This is as a result of monitoring and control, shortcomings identified may result in a change in the project plan. This recognizes the dynamics and change that occur in project management.
- Effective supplies management this ensures that identification of materials, services and suppliers is according to the set standards.
- Regular communication to all stakeholders to keep them well informed on the progress of the project this ensures that well-informed decisions are made.
The outcome illustrated in the exercise is a more common phenomenon in the public sector than in the private sector projects in Uganda. It is more common to have substandard work in the public sector than in the private sector, this is because of the following reasons:
- There is regular monitoring and evaluation of the project during implementation. There is increased level of supervision in the private sector thus enables identification of mistakes which are corrected before a lot of damage is done.
- In the private sector, there is adequate motivation of the selected staff with appropriate skills, this ensures increased output and minimizes the incidence of corruption. Due to inadequate motivation of staff in the public sector, there is a higher tendency of the public sector staff to request for bribes for the service provider/contractor so as to influence the award of the tender. This may lead to erosion of the latter’s profits; as a result, substandard work.
- Clear and defined feedback mechanism exists in the private sector, which enables quick and accurate decision-making.
- The public sector in Uganda is very rigid and conservative, thus in the project management, it is not susceptible to change. This is disadvantageous in that in rapidly changing environments, plans could quickly lose touch with reality. Thus the project team has to be flexible to allow for any change. On the contrary, this flexibility exists in the private sector.
References
- Cleland D,Gareis R (Eds) ,(1994) Global Project Management Handbook, McGraw International
- Maylor H, (1999) Project Management, Financial times Pitman Publishing
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Webster G, (1999), Project definition –the missing link, Industrial and Commercial Training Journal, Vol 31 No 6 Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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Psarras JK, Papakonstantinou AP, Metaxiotis KS, (1999) Towards the integrated monitoring and evaluation system IMES :a real power, Information Management & Computer Security Journal , Vol 7 No 5 Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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Kipppenberger, (2000) Management’s role in project failure, The Antidote Journal Vol 5 No 4 Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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Svetlana J.K. Cicmil, (1997) Critical factors of effective project management, The TQM Magazine Vol 9 No 6 Emerald Group Publishing Limited
