Construction Project Monitoring and Evaluation

An Integrated Approach

Callistus Tengan, Clinton Aigbavboa, Wellington Didibhuku Thwala

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000381412
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Project Management in Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This book will provide readers with an in-depth theoretical awareness and practical guidance on the implementation of an effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system to ensure construction projects meet approved quality, cost, time and social sustainability objectives.

The authors discuss the drivers, challenges, determinants and benefits of effective M&E implementation together with the theories and models underpinning construction project M&E practices. Further, a comparative overview of M&E practices in developed and developing countries is presented to elucidate the best practices. The book first conceptualizes M&E as a five-factor model comprising stakeholder involvement, budgetary allocation and logistics, technical capacity and training, leadership, and communication. It then presents an M&E case study on the Ghanaian construction industry before expanding on the idea of M&E systems as an effective tool for project performance and in optimizing a project's contribution to society and the environment.

The book further provides guidance on M&E practice for construction project managers, investors, professionals, researchers and other stakeholders and is therefore of interest to those in architecture, construction engineering, planning, project management and development studies.

Part I

Performance management and measurement

1 Project management

1.1 Abstract

Project management is a broad function that entails project performance measurement and assessment. Therefore, project activities, resources and processes in the construction industry require to be assessed and measured effectively to ensure that success factors are achieved. However, little attention has been given to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as a performance management and measurement tool. The first chapter of this book is dedicated to contextualize M&E in the project management literature as a performance management and measurement tool. Technologies such as drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), building information modelling (BIM) and geographical information systems (GIS) have been discussed and the advantage of adapting them by the construction industry to effectively and efficiently monitor and evaluate the construction process and activities presented.

1.2 Introduction

The construction industry in many economies serves a critical role in its development trajectory. It is an industry that brings together several other industries, i.e. automobile, manufacturing, etc., under its umbrella, hence very pivotal in the development of other sub-sectors and industries in the economy. The employment generation and creation of the industry are great since it is more labor-intensive as compared to other industry (Kim, Kim, Shin, & Kim, 2015, p. 1534). Its ultimate role in the contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) has gained recognition in most budget readings of most countries across the globe. According to Mazhar & Arain (2015, p. 434), the construction industry's contribution to the global share of the GDP is estimated around 15%. Considering the potential contribution of the industry to economic development, it is imperative to ensure that the inputs (resources), activities and processes are managed efficiently and effectively. This can be achieved via the effective implementation of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) which seeks to manage and measure performance of the project throughout the lifecycle of the project (Tengan & Aigbavboa, 2016; Tengan & Aigbavboa, 2018). This chapter therefore, seeks to elevate M&E in the project management discourse while presenting innovative and emerging technologies in assessing and measuring project performance.

1.3 Project performance management

In construction, project management has been defined by Fewings (2005, p. 11) as the “…planning, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of all those involved to achieve the project objectives on time and to cost, quality and performance”. Further, the Project Management Institute (PMI, 2013) describes project management as the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources through the life of a project using contemporary management techniques in order to achieve set goals such as scope, cost, time, quality and participant satisfaction. The impact of PM practice on the outcome of projects has made the discipline seen as a key competence and the most sought-after career choice for many organizations in the world today both in the private and public sectors. PM skills and competencies are therefore necessary for project actors in the construction process to effectively deal with all conceived challenges and project risk ensuring that projects are initiated and closed rightly. PM has also been defined by many scholars and researchers in literature providing characteristics as they may apply to the specific fields and industry. PM practices employ performance measurement and assessment techniques such as M&E, to ensure project cost, quality and time are achieved.

In the literature, project performance management encompasses performance assessment and measurement which most often have been used to mean the same. It should, however, be noted that there exist some apparent differences between the two terminologies. According to Amaratunga et al. (2002) and Hwang & Lim (2013) performance measurement provides a set of indicators for measuring the outcome/output of daily operations, whereas performance assessment is the process of evaluating the actual performance against the set standard (Myeda & Pitt, 2012). In assessing and measuring project performance, a number of tools or models are employed in the construction industry to ensure effective M&E. This includes the Total Quality Management (TQM), the Balance Scorecard (BSC), the Key Performance Indicators (KPI), the Just-in-Time (JIT) model and the Six-Sigma. The purpose of each model, tool or system is to improve on the current performance in project activities. Similarly, the M&E tool or system ensures that set targets (KPI) are achieved, hence improving performance. M&E integrates various aspects of the project life cycle such as inputs, activities, output and outcomes to achieve success.

1.4 Monitoring and evaluation as a performance management tool

A successful project is expected to meet three key performance indicators. The three key indicators, also referred to as the triple constraints of projects, are described as project cost, quality and schedule (Rahschulte & Milhauser, 2010). Several performance indicators have evolved over the years. Pinto and Slevin (1988) identified project schedule, budget, performance and client satisfaction as the parameters with which to measure the success of a project. Several other studies have mentioned project success factors to include environmental factors, health and safety, effective project management and governance practices (Mirza, Pourzolfaghar & Shahnazari, 2013; Akanni, Oke & Akpomiemie, 2015; Das & Ngacho, 2017). However, to ensure success of project, thus meeting the agreed performance measures for the project, monitoring, evaluation and controlling of the project have been topical in the field of project management (Ile et al., 2012; Zhao, Mbachu & Domingo, 2017). Igbokwe-Ibeto (2012) adds that due to the tedious nature of construction projects, it is imperative to monitor and evaluate projects in order to achieve success. Unfortunately, M&E as a performance measurement and assessment tool is missing in the literature. The role played by M&E in contributing to the broader spectrum of successful construction project delivery is essential and, as such, should be recognized across sectors of developing economies (Tengan & Aigbavboa, 2018), particularly in the construction industry. In the current economic constraint, particularly in developing nations, project M&E has become topical in demonstrating accountability and project impact (Barasa, 2014). M&E prompts the conditions under which projects are likely to succeed or falter and can serve as an early warning tool for potential problems. It can also lead to ideas for potential remedial action. The combined effect of M&E on a Construction Project (CP) will result in rich knowledge generation, construction programme improvement, accountability, transparency, resource allocation, advocacy and impact assessment. The above is brought to bear through the diversities of stakeholders that are usually involved in the monitoring and evaluation of every CP. The lack of integration of M&E models and practice in the Construction Industry (CI), particularly in Ghana, into mainstream CP management has accounted for many CP failures in project delivered according to time, cost, quality and meeting set health and safety (H&S) standards. This book attempts to fill this gap.

1.5 Emerging trends in project monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation generally has been largely recognized as a human-­centered activity. In the construction industry, project teams (consultants) consisting of professionals such as engineers, architects and quantity surveyors are contracted and tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that designs and other development objectives are implemented within the framework to achieve the objectives of the project. Personal site visits are undertaken by stakeholders to ascertain progress and sometimes the quality of projects. Projects also require the submission of photographs as an evidence of the progress made. Other traditional approaches have been employed off site to verify and validate other key performance indicators such as cost and laboratory testing to validate quality.

With the emergence of technology, stakeholders on a project are able to work remotely and still ensure the right things are done and are also able to access any relevant information required for the purpose of evaluation and decision making. Emerging/emerged technologies that are facilitating M&E in complex project environments are the use of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Building Information Modelling (BIM). As confirmed in the literature, the construction industry has been slow in embracing new technologies as compared to others such as manufacturing, even though the long-term advantages are well known. PwC asserts that the use of drones or UAVs in a construction project offers an unparalleled record of all activities, cuts planning and survey costs, increases efficiency and accuracy and eliminates disputes over the status of a project at any given point in time in the life cycle of the project.

1.5.1 Drone and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

A drone, also referred to as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is a flying robot controlled from a remote unit and due to its intelligent software programming, it can manage all things in air. The high inefficiencies, poor safety, project delays and cost overruns reported in the project management literature can potentially be improved with the deployment of drones in the monitoring and evaluation process. Drones have the potential to increase impact of the M&E process through data acquisition, processing and management for projects. Managing a construction project is no small task. From tracking site progress and monitoring safety and security to overseeing subcontractors and keeping stakeholders informed, there is almost no end to the amount of coordination you face on any given day, hence the need for project managers and M&E teams on projects to include drones to their toolkit. On a construction site, drones can assist with pre-construction site review, aerial surveying and mapping, measurement of excavation depths and material stockpiles, monitoring and documenting job site progress, productivity and inspecting work that is difficult or dangerous for human inspectors to reach. Not only can drones ensure efficient utilization of project resources, but they can also give your team a rich set of data for more informed communication and decision making, i.e. data taken by drones can be used to assist a design team in understanding the project site orienting structures and locating utilities.

1.5.2 Building information modelling (BIM)

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an innovative technology, a repository of digital information, a modeling technology and a global digital technology which enhances the management of project information and the construction process. It helps in the creation and maintenance of an integrated collaborative database of multi-dimensional data concerning the design, construction and operations of projects, with the aim of improving collaboration between stakeholders and reduce the time needed for documentation of the project and producing more predictable project outcomes (Abanda et al., 2015; Fazli et al., 2014; Olawumi & Chan, 2019; Sampaio, 2015). The impact of BIM on the construction process is enormous, ensuring that BIM provides “single, non-redundant, interoperable information repository” capable of supporting every stage, process and functional units in a construction project (Olatunji, Olawumi & Ogunsemi, 2016; Olawumi & Ayegun, 2016; Olawumi, Akinrata & Arijeloye, 2016). An integrated M&E approach will be enhanced with the introduction and adoption of BIM in the construction process. The call for relevant competencies in BIM application on projects needs immediate attention.

1.5.3 Geographic information system (GIS)

A GIS is a set of tools comprising hardware, software, data and users. This set of tools allows for capturing, stor...