Resolution of management issues with mega projects

Abstract

South Africa is a developing country with many construction projects that are being undetaken. The study aims to contribute to the resolution of issues around the management of projects. Previous studies have revealed that there are many failures in the erection of mega projects. This study was based in three provinces in South Africa - KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Western Cape. A mixed method research approach incorporating both qualitative and quantitive methods was used to collect empirical data from stakeholders working on mega projects. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire and focused individual interviews. The study established that management issues such as the lack of stakeholder engagement and poor logistics planning play a role in the failure of mega projects. The level of use of this research targeted companies which are at 8GB and 9GB and within those companies, professionals such as project managers, architects, quantity surveyors, foremen and site agents. The study recommends that in order for mega projects to be successful, stake holders must mitigate turnaround time on taking decisions. Also, sound decisions must be taken for effective delivery of mega projects. Findings suggests that plant down time contributes to the failure of a project. Regular plant schedule checking is done daily prior to plant operation. Findings on logistic management revealed that the leading factor is public safety. It is recommended that safety of public around projects needs to be managed closely by responsible site agents and safety officers. The change of designs during construction must be avoided since this brings unexpected material expenditure which impacts on the project costing. All cost occurring during design changes must be charged to the architect fees, unless the changes were unforeseen.