PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project management is defined under the scope, schedule, and budget triangle. Project
management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques for planning,
organizing, directing, and controlling company resources to complete specific goals and
objectives.
There are essentially nine Knowledge Areas of construction project management:
• Project Integration Management
• Project Scope Management
• Project Time Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Quality Management
• Project Human Resource Management
• Project Communications Management
• Project Risk Management
Project Procurement Management
PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN
PAKISTAN
The construction industry is an important sector of the economy and has multiple backward
and forward linkages with other sectors. The industry contributes significantly to socio-
economic development and employment, and there is a consensus on specific common issues
that plague the construction industry in developing countries.
Project management plays an essential role in every sector. The Pakistani construction
Industry has always been of economic and social significance to the country. That's why
construction project management affects the local and global financial market.
With the recent rapid economic growth of the country, Pakistan now offers a growing market
for the construction industry. The Government of Pakistan has responded to this opportunity
by planning extensive infrastructure expansion programs. All these programs have the
potential to lead the local industry to establish respect, status, and international recognition
when the appropriate efforts are extended to achieve the same. Even with the opportunity for
growth, the challenges will be extensive. The major obstacles to improving the performance
of the Pakistani construction industry were a lack of expertise/resources in construction
project management and its applied areas. A rigid attitude and behavior of executive
management toward quality, safety, and risk management, plus more management and
emphasis on employees' commitment toward project performance, better education, and
training to drive the improvement process, and a tendency to cure the cause of the problem
rather than the symptom. If coordination, teamwork, productivity, and industry performance,
in the long run, is going to improve, then extensive awareness and training programs to
enhance the clients' understanding and approach toward construction project manager must
be initiated without exception.
Keywords: Pakistan, Construction industry, Performance, Risk, Safety, Quality, Delay,
Constructability, Low Bid Procurement, Best Value Procurement, Client Satisfaction Index.

THE CHALLENGES AND THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION

INDUSTRY IN PAKISTAN
Pakistan is facing many challenges in different sector areas due to a lack of skills, knowledge,
and techniques, and the Construction sector is also one of them.
Project management helps the company to achieve the desired goal most efficiently.
Pakistan's construction industry problems considering project management knowledge areas
are
Project integration management
Project integration management is required when there are interactions between different
processes and teams. When a project has competing objectives or scheduling conflicts, it
helps to make costs and enable the team to complete the project and meet stakeholders'
expectations. In the Pakistan industry, there is a lack of trust between different groups, poor
communication, Deficient and non-comprehensive, and other issues that affect the industry at
both local and global levels. Liable to abrupt changes which adversely affect cash flow,
budget, and time frame.
Project time and cost management
Project cost management is the process of estimating, budgeting, and controlling costs
throughout the project life cycle, to keep expenditures within the approved budget.
For a project to be considered a success, it's necessary that
· It delivers on the requirements and scope
· Its execution quality is of a high standard
· it's completed within schedule and
· it's completed within budget.
Pakistan faces many challenges in managing the time and cost of the projects. In the
construction sector, Pakistan failed to prosper due to the instability of currency, Lowest
bidding procurement method, Business, and Regulatory Environment, Poor project (site)
management/ Poor cost control, the Long period between design and time of
bidding/tendering, Wrong method of cost estimation, Additional work, Improper planning,
Inappropriate government policies.
Project Human Resource Management
Workforce is one of the leading resources of any project. I play an important key role in
completing the project on time. Lack of workforce leads the project to failure.
Pakistan's construction industry has a shortage of qualified and skilled workforce at all
levels and a lack of vocational training facilities to develop required human resources.
The quality of human resources available to clients, contractors, and consultants needs
improvement.

Project risk and procurement management

Pakistan's construction industry is falling behind the global industry due to
•       Incorrect Project Estimates
Not based on prevailing market rates.
Current data about input prices are not available.
Non Responsive bids.
Incorrect estimates lead to releases of funds.
Lack of qualified quantity surveyors.
Estimates are based on preliminary designs, and at the detailed design stage, many
parameters change.
Estimates are tended to be on the lower side.
•       Financial Issues
Lack of financial facilities restricts the growth of the construction industry.
Disbursement and payments procedures are cumbersome and lengthy, leading to delays.
Cost of doing business is high.
Payment procedures hamper progress.
•       Trade Policy and Regulatory Framework
Import policy regarding construction equipment is not rationalized.
Trade Policy does not facilitate constructors.
Regulatory Framework discourages international contractors/consultants.
Audit should play a positive role.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO BOOST CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
1. Increase competition among suppliers 

Competition helps drive innovation and lower costs, but finding qualified suppliers can be
challenging, especially the diverse suppliers that many leaders are tasked with identifying to
help meet ESG goals. New AI-powered technology can quickly match qualified bidders to
projects, creating shortlists that include both existing and new, diverse, providers.
2. Reduce risk 

Innovative technology can highlight important questions or issues that may have been
otherwise overlooked, ensuring companies address potential risks during the procurement
process and not post contract. Natural language processing can guide users through a
dynamic Q&A and precisely scope services to minimise project creep. 
3. Simplify the sourcing process 

AI-powered technology enables precise sourcing at scale, simplifying the process for busy
procurement teams. The cumbersome steps of the RFP process, for example, are removed,
freeing employees up to focus on more high-value activities. AI identifies desired business
requirements up front and then offers a shortlist of suppliers exhibiting those characteristics,
making it easy to select the best supplier for each specific need. 
4. Eliminate human error 

In construction, pricing proposals tend to be complex and time-consuming, with multiple

tabs, line items, and calculations. New intelligent technology can compile pricing forms
automatically, which not only speeds up the process but also reduces human error. Rather
than have humans collate 25 spreadsheets into a single document, for example, AI can take
over the process with more efficiency and accuracy. 
5. Maximise Value 

New digital platforms can drastically shorten the amount of time required from scoping a
sourcing need to awarding the work, maximizing efficiency gains. Companies can generate
unprecedented cost savings through precise scoping and curated bidder lists with AI-powered
category expertise, resulting in instant savings of more than 20% at a time when companies
are under pressure due to unprecedented rises in input costs.