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7.80. Project Planning and Control (Elective)

7.80.1. Justification ↑ Back to top

Project Planning and Control introduces strategic planning and management plans according to the PMBOK guide, project planning, scheduling, and control using the Critical Path Method (CPM) and 4D/5D modeling, project management and control philosophies, and the soft and managerial skills necessary to lead project teams.

7.80.2. Generales Goals ↑ Back to top

1. Apply strategic planning and management plans according to the PMBOK guide to a construction project.
2. Plan, schedule, and control a project using the Critical Path Method (CPM) and 4D/5D modeling tools.
3. Apply management philosophies to the control of construction projects.
4. Develop soft and managerial skills in communication, leadership, teamwork, and conflict resolution.

7.80.3. Contribution to Outcomes ↑ Back to top

ABET-2) An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors. (Usage)

ABET-1) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics. (Usage)

7.80.4. Content ↑ Back to top

7.80.4.1. Planning Principles (16 hours) [Skills ABET-2] ↑ Back to top

Bibliography: (Institute, 2021b)

Topics

1. Planning as an ongoing and iterative activity throughout the project life cycle
2. Just-enough planning: balancing detail with flexibility based on uncertainty
3. Relationship between planning depth and the selected development approach
4. Adaptive planning: rolling wave, progressive elaboration, and iterative refinement

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe the principles of iterative and just-enough planning in PMBoK 7th edition [Familiarity]
2. Apply adaptive planning principles to a project with high uncertainty and evolving requirements [Assessment]
3. Evaluate whether a project's planning approach provides sufficient detail and flexibility for its uncertainty level [Assessment]

7.80.4.2. Project Planning, Scheduling, and Control (CPM, 4D/5D) (16 hours) [Skills ABET-2] ↑ Back to top

Bibliography: (Callahan et al., 1992)

Topics

1. Work breakdown structure (WBS) development and activity definition
2. Network diagramming: activity-on-node (AON) and precedence diagramming method (PDM)
3. Critical Path Method (CPM) for schedule calculation: forward/backward pass, floats
4. Resource allocation, loading, and leveling techniques
5. Schedule updating, monitoring, and control using earned value management (EVM)
6. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) for schedule risk analysis
7. Line of balance (LOB) scheduling for repetitive projects
8. 4D scheduling (time + 3D model) for visualization and clash detection
9. 5D scheduling (time + cost + 3D model) for integrated cost control

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for a medium-scale construction project [Usage]
2. Construct a CPM network diagram and calculate the critical path and activity floats [Assessment]
3. Perform resource leveling on a simple project schedule to minimize resource fluctuations [Usage]
4. Monitor project progress using schedule variance (SV) and cost variance (CV) from earned value data [Assessment]
5. Apply PERT to estimate project duration probabilities and identify schedule risks [Assessment]
6. Create a Line of Balance (LOB) schedule for a repetitive housing project [Usage]
7. Generate a 4D simulation to visualize the construction sequence and identify spatial conflicts [Usage]
8. Integrate cost data with a 3D model to perform a 5D analysis for budget tracking [Assessment]

7.80.4.3. Lean Construction and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) (12 hours) [Skills ABET-1] ↑ Back to top

Bibliography: (Ballard, 2000)

Topics

1. Lean thinking principles: value, value stream, flow, pull, perfection
2. Identification and elimination of the eight wastes in construction
3. Last Planner System (LPS) for production planning and control
4. Visual management tools: 5S, Kanban, and Andon
5. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) principles and multi-party agreements
6. Target Value Delivery (TVD) and Set-Based Design
7. Collaboration technologies and Big Room co-location
8. Performance measurement: Percent Plan Complete (PPC), Takt time
9. Culture change and implementation strategies for lean transformation

Learning Outcomes

1. Define the seven (or eight) types of waste (Muda) in a construction context [Familiarity]
2. Apply the Last Planner System to develop a reliable weekly work plan [Usage]
3. Identify opportunities to apply visual management (5S) on a construction site [Assessment]
4. Explain how Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) aligns goals and shares risk among project stakeholders [Familiarity]
5. Use Target Value Delivery principles to guide design decisions within a cost target [Assessment]
6. Facilitate a collaborative pull planning session with multiple trades [Usage]
7. Calculate and interpret Percent Plan Complete (PPC) as a lean performance metric [Assessment]
8. Develop a basic implementation plan for introducing lean practices to a project team [Assessment]

7.80.4.4. Leadership, Team Dynamics, and Stakeholder Management (12 hours) [Skills ABET-1] ↑ Back to top

Bibliography: (Robbins and Coulter, 2017)

Topics

1. Leadership styles, traits, and the difference between leadership and management
2. Team dynamics: forming, storming, norming, performing stages and roles
3. Conflict resolution strategies and negotiation
4. Stakeholder identification, analysis, and engagement planning
5. Motivation theories and their application to engineering teams
6. Cultural intelligence and leading diverse, global teams
7. Change management and leading organizational transformation
8. Emotional intelligence and its role in effective leadership
9. Ethical leadership and creating an ethical organizational culture

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe different leadership styles and identify situations where each might be effective [Familiarity]
2. Diagnose the stage of development of a project team and propose appropriate interventions [Assessment]
3. Resolve a simulated interpersonal conflict within a project team using a structured approach [Usage]
4. Develop a stakeholder engagement plan for a project with community opposition [Assessment]
5. Adapt communication and leadership approach when working with a team from a different cultural background [Assessment]
6. Explain the key steps in a change management process for implementing a new technology [Familiarity]
7. Evaluate one's own emotional intelligence and identify areas for development [Assessment]
8. Model ethical leadership behavior in a team-based project simulation [Usage]

7.80.5. Bibliography ↑ Back to top

Institute, P. M. (2021b). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). Project Management Institute, 7th edition.

Callahan, M. T., Quackenbush, D. G., and Rowings, J. E. (1992). Construction Project Scheduling. McGraw-Hill.

Ballard, G. (2000). The last planner system of production control. PhD Thesis, University of Birmingham.

Robbins, S. P. and Coulter, M. (2017). Management. Pearson, 14th edition.