Question 3.

Project management and administration

1. Who is managing the project?

The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) under the CEO, Mr. Gisbertus Mukulu is the Rundu
Project’s manager. The parastatal was officially handed over the Rundu Project Site where
123 houses will be constructed project by the Urban and Rural Development Deputy Minister
Hon. Silvia Makgone on 01 February 2018 (NHE, 2018).

2. What is the role of the project manager?

2.0 Introduction
A Project Manager (PM) will have overall responsibility for the successful planning,
execution, monitoring, control and closure of a project (Esposito, 2015). They will be
primarily responsible for the overall successfulness of delivering a project, reaching set
targets both safely and correctly. A project manager must be able to perform effectively
within tight time-scales, keep within strict budgets and create a positive client environment
such that clients become/remain in a good relationship throughout the contract. Project
managers have the responsibility to manage a set of service deliveries, which must be
achieved on time to ensure all activities in the schedule are completed in time (Epstein,
2015).

Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager

2.1 Project planning
Planning the project is the first duty of the project manager (Hills et. al, 2008). The project
manager has the responsibility of preparing work for the whole team through the following:

a) Plan the delivery of the project at hand.

b) Estimating costs
c) Developing deliverable schedules as a roadmap for the construction team
d) Following the project in case there is a need to handle or supervise some tasks
e) Reviewing the project in depth to determine if everything is done according to plan

The planning stage also involves identifying and scheduling the work packages or activities
which are necessary in order to perform the work (Cleland, 1986). This is largely the duty of
the project manager who will then be responsible for the coordination of the preparation of
the construction of houses budget by providing cost estimates for the labour, equipment, and
materials costs. A thorough project manager needs to forecast and determine the work that
needs to be done for the proposed project (Epstein, 2015).

2.2 Project execution

From the planning phase the role of the project manager are focused on the execution of the
project. The project manager is considered the boss on the construction site. The project
manager is responsible for getting the right people to handle all the tasks for a single project
including hiring and firing people (Hills et. al, 2008). The project manager has to do all the
coordinating and directing the construction workers.

This involves:-

 Managing the day-to-day working, utilisation, implementation and technical

consultants engaged on client assignments. From ensuring the correct material turns
up before a job, to explaining the work ethics and activities to colleagues.
 Report progress on projects by suitable media to sector management, maintain and
update project reporting, checkpoints and financial reporting to a high standard.
 Plan and arrange visits to existing and new potential clients, ensuring every client
receives sufficient support to enhance their relationships.
 Develop contacts with senior staff, directors, and other influential staff within each
account during the implementation phase (Epstein, 2015).
 Co-ordinate required support levels and training.
 Produce reports on each project at agreed intervals, and whenever substantive actions
are required (Hills et. al, 2008).

The project manager needs to be able to motivate people, delivering constructive feedback
and keep the morale high among the team members. This can be achieved through effective
team building strategies which encourage increased co-operation and understanding between
the team members (Esposito, 2015).

2.3 Project Control

The project manager is responsible for controlling the project through close monitoring of the
project for risks and risk management. The project control stage aims to keep any changes in
the project to a minimum. It is during this stage that as the project manager, it is paramount
to use key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine if the project is on track against set
objectives (Watt, 2012). During this stage it is important to maintain control and
communicate as needed during implementation. This involves time management whereby the
project manager has the responsibility to check and to ensure that the project is being
completed on schedule (Esposito, 2015). The role of the project manager includes:-

 Periodical appraisals to ensure conformity with the project timeline.

Progress should be continuously monitored and appropriate adjustments made and

recorded as modifications from the original plan through regular team meetings (Dobson,
2013).

 Cost management as the project manager continues to ensure that all expenses are
accounted for and necessary.
 Quality management is a very vital aspect of the implementation phase as the quality
of the product or process must be checked to ensure that there is adherence to the
specifications of the stakeholders (Project Management Institute, 2016).

Since houses are structures which are expected to remain erect over a lengthy period,
proper construction techniques and monitoring should be done effectively to ensure that
the work done will be of a high standard. Failure to do so can potentially put people at
risk of the collapsing roofs or walls (Hills et. al, 2008).

 The project manager is responsible for taking note of any changes and maintaining
control over the direction of the project by comparing the progress reports with the
project plan to measure the performance of the project activities, taking corrective
action as necessary.

It is during this stage that issue management is tackled. All issues relating to the construction
work, supply of equipment, availability of any additional manpower have to be carefully
tracked so that the project manager and other team members are aware of any problems that
come up during the dam wall construction process (Project Management Institute, 2016).

 Preparing status reports should always be updated to emphasize the anticipated end
point in terms of cost, schedule, and quality of deliverables. It is also important that
all project deliverables produced be reviewed for quality and measured against the
acceptance criteria (Dobson, 2013).
 In the project implementation stage, project sponsors and other key stakeholders need
to be kept informed of the project’s status according to the agreed-on frequency and
format of communication.
 This is important as it keeps the stakeholders abreast with progress as well as provide
accountability by the project manager (Watt, 2012).

2.4 Project Closure

The project closure phase represents the completed project. This means well-constructed
houses are inspected and they can be handed over (Hills et. al, 2008). The role of the project
manager in Project Closure involves the following:-

 Releasing the final deliverables to the customer,

 Handing over project documentation to the business,

In the closure phase all project documents and deliverables are collected and safely stored
and the houses can be handed over to authorities and availed to the community and other
beneficiaries (Esposito, 2015).

 Terminating supplier contracts,

 Releasing project resources and communicating project closure to all stakeholders
(Cleland, 1986).
 The project manager holds a Post Implementation Review meeting to evaluate the
project and identify project failures (Epstein, 2015).

Although one can consider that the bulk of the work is complete there are always lessons to
learn and areas for improvements in future.

 It is also the responsibility of the project manager to perform a final project budget
and preparing a final project report.

3. Who are the people involved (people doing the job, not stakeholder eg finance manager,
general employees, builders etc)?

The Darwin Investment Group Namibia in joint venture with Salami Island Investments are
the sub-contractors responsible for building the Rundu houses. The NHE has partnered with
the private sector through going into the market to partner with individuals and companies
that have funds, the skills and technical capacity to build houses.

List of people involved in the construction of Rundu houses

Project manager (NHE) – Oversees entire project
Architect – Responsible for the design and visual appearance of the houses before final
structural design. Also checks whether construction adheres to the architectural design.

Civil engineer – Responsible for planning, coordination and supervision of the technical
aspects of the construction project. Interprets drawings, prepares reports and provides advice.

Quantity surveyor – they are considered the cost consultant as their responsibility is to
monitor project finances and manage contractual relationships between the various parties
involved.

Site agent – Oversees the on-site activities, supervision of construction workers, maintaining
safety inspections including organising work and ensuring that key building materials are
delivered on time and within budget.

Electrician – Responsible for the installation and maintenance, control and lighting systems

Plumbers – Installation, maintenance, repair and fixture of pipes used for water distribution
and waste water disposal.

Administrators – Deliver practical and clerical support to ensure smooth running of project.

Construction workers – responsible for on-site tasks such as operating heavy machinery,
loading and unloading building materials, erecting scaffolding and removing debris,
References

Cleland, D. I. (1986). Project stakeholder management. Project Management Journal, 17(4).

Pp. 36–44.

Dobson. M. S. (2013). Understanding the 5 Stages of the Project Life Cycle. Retrieved from
http://www.method123.com/project-lifecycle.php

Epstein. S. (2015). The seven key characteristics of a project. Retrieved from

https://www.axelos.com/best-practice-solutions/prince2/what-is-project-management

Esposito. E. (2015). Demystifying the 5 Phases of Project Management. Retrieved from

http://www.mpmm.com/project-management-methodology.php

Hills, M.J., Fox, P.W., Skitmore, M and Hon, C. K. H. (2008). The role of project managers
in construction industry development. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/27474222

Makgone, S. (2018). Official Ground-Breaking Ceremony of the 50 Houses To Be

Constructed By NHE In Rundu, Kaisosi Proper, Through A Public Private Partnership
Arrangement. Rundu, Kaisosi Proper. Retrieved from
http://www.murd.gov.na/documents/99085/466182/Site+Handover

National Housing Enterprise. (2017). Financial Statements. Retrieved from

http://www.nhe.com.na/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/

National Housing Enterprise. (2018). Rundu New Project. Retrieved from

http://www.nhe.com.na/Rundu/index.htm

Project Management Institute. 2016. What is Project Management? Retrieved from

https://www.pmi.org/about/learn-about-pmi/what-is-project-management

Watt, A. 2012. Project Management. John Preston, Eastern Michigan University Retrieved

from https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-3-the-project-life-cycle-
phases-project-management/