Project management

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See also Project Execution, Project Development, Project Definition, Project Delivery Methods, Project Life Cycle and Phase Models. See also Program Management in Civil Engineering, Civil Engineering Projects, Management control, Management plans and sub-plans.

Project delivery spine

Project Definition • Project Development • Project Execution • Project Delivery Methods

Project Life Cycle and Phase Models • Uncertainty and Risk in Civil Engineering Practice • Project stakeholder • Project management

Basic considerations

Project management is the disciplined application of knowledge, methods, tools, and controls to project activities in order to produce defined deliverables and outcomes under constraint.

For RiskWiki, project management in civil engineering is inseparable from:

• managing uncertainty and risk,
• maintaining integrity of design and requirements through delivery,
• and operating within contractual, regulatory, and stakeholder environments.

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Semantic, Epistemic and Logical frameworks

(Under construction.)

Semantic framework

Common confusions that cause failures in practice:

• “project management” vs “project controls” vs “governance”
• requirements vs scope vs specifications
• planning vs development vs execution
• commercial scope splits vs legal responsibility (e.g., engineer-of-record obligations)

Epistemic framework

Project management exists because uncertainty cannot be eliminated before commitment. A core task is to identify which uncertainties must be reduced (retired) and which will be carried as managed risks.

Logical framework

A practical framing: 1. Define objectives, requirements, and constraints (definition). 2. Develop feasible designs, interfaces, packages, and baselines (development). 3. Execute work under integrated control systems (execution). 4. Verify and achieve acceptance/turnover (startup/commissioning).

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Practice frameworks

(Under construction.)

This page should summarize and link to:

• PMI / ISO / ASCE practice concepts (definitions, process groups, knowledge areas)
• civil-engineering project controls (scope, schedule, cost, risk, quality, configuration)
• agency programmatic requirements (FTA, FRA, DOE, USACE, etc.)

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Interfaces to risk management

Project management provides the control architecture that makes risk management real:

• governance and decision rights (“who defines acceptable?”)
• change control (scope/spec/design changes)
• risk identification, response planning, and risk funding (contingency / reserves)
• stakeholder and interface management

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Working definition of the term

Project management

Project management is the integrated set of leadership and control activities used to plan, coordinate, and govern project definition, development, and execution so that required outcomes are achieved within constraints.

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See also

• Project Definition
• Project Development
• Project Execution
• Project Delivery Methods
• Project Life Cycle and Phase Models
• Civil Engineering Projects
• Program Management in Civil Engineering
• Management control
• Management plans and sub-plans
• Project stakeholder

Recommended reading path

1. Uncertainty and Risk in Civil Engineering Practice
2. Project Life Cycle and Phase Models
3. Project Definition
4. Project Development
5. Project Execution
6. Project Delivery Methods

Common failure modes in civil engineering projects

• Requirements vs specifications confusion
• Interface ambiguity (packages, EOR obligations, scope splits)
• Feasibility not maintained across handoffs (conceptual → detailed → field)
• Poor communication / ambiguity in roles and codes

Notes

(Under construction.)

References

(Under construction.)