Chapter 3:

Planning the Organization’s Human

Resource

1
 Chapter contents

1. Fundamentals of Planning
2. Objectives of human resource planning
3. Manpower Planning Process
4. Performance Appraisal & Reward System
5. Manpower recruitment
 3.1.1. Fundamentals of Planning
• In construction, all projects are constraint bound: a project needs to
be finished within a given time period, below a specific budget, to a
given quality and standard. Thus, for the project to be realized and
labeled as success, it has got to overcome the constraints. The best
way construction managers prepare themselves against these
constraints is to prepare a thorough plan for the execution of the
project.
• Manpower planning can be defined as a management technique for
forecasting and selecting the type and number of employees required
in order to achieving specific objectives.
• In construction there is a need for long term planning at the
organizational level and short-term planning at site level.
• Generally, manpower planning is the process including
forecasting, developing and controlling by which a firm
ensures that it has the right number of people and the right
kind of people at the right places at the right time doing
work for which they are economically most useful.

• The context of human resource planning is dominated by:

• The state of demand for the project’s end
deliverables,
• The supply of people in the labor market,
• The time-scale involved
• Short-term planning is concerned with the day-to-day
acquisition and recruitment of manpower at site level
(e.g. bricklayers and carpenters). Site recruitment is
usually decentralized and is done by the project
manager or the site manager.
• Long-term planning is concerned with working out a
strategic plan for acquiring and utilizing human
resources at organizational level (mainly skilled labor,
experts, professionals and managers). In construction,
manpower planning is usually done by the personnel
manager who acts in consultation with and takes
advice from line managers and project managers.
 3.1.2 Objectives of human resource planning
 To have an accurate, estimate of the number of employees
required with matching skill requirements to accomplish
organizational goals.
 To know about existing deployment
 To know the skill requirement
 To know the manpower requirement over a period of time
 To indicate lead time availability to select and train required
additional manpower
 To keep Inventory of existing personnel
 Pratt and Bennett (1985) listed seven interrelated areas of activity
towards creating the 'manpower plan'.
1) Manpower objectives as part of the corporate plan.
• The manpower demand and supply forecasts will in turn lead to
manpower polices such as recruitment, training, transfer,
promotion, redundancies, etc.
2) Manpower audit (external).
• This is an assessment of the external environment with regard to
the supply and demand of the labor markets, etc. The national
labor market is extremely dynamic and useful statistical
information concerning factors of employment is generally
available.
3) Manpower audit (internal).
• This can be done within the framework of the corporate plan by
using management information carried within the company.
Analyses need to audit factors such as:
• Age , Skills , promotion and transfer possibilities,
Productivity levels , Costs , Turnover and wastage
4) Supply forecasting.
• Having established the objectives and carried out the external and
internal audits, it will then be possible to forecast future needs for
manpower and assess the sources available to meet those needs
for the life of the plan.
5) Demand forecasting.
• From this, a forecast of the numbers and types of staff required by
various departments or units should be possible. Various
techniques are available to forecast manpower demand, e.g.
operational research, work study and statistical models.
6) Implementation.
• The objectives, audits and supply and demand forecasts that contribute to the
manpower plan should then be converted into policies that should produce in
turn concrete programmes of action. The manpower policies should be formed
by considering:
• Recruitment - the numbers and types of employees required over the
period of the plan together with details of any potential supply problems
• Training - the amount and types of training required for both new
recruits, and existing staff
• Employee development – Closely linked to training, this should take
account of projected promotions and transfers
• Productivity - methods for maintaining or improving productivity
including work methods, incentives, productivity bargaining and other
methods of improving motivation
• Redundancy - specific plans regarding the number of potential
redundancies and how these will be dealt with
• Accommodation - plans for expansion, contraction or re-location,
including buildings, equipment and for improving working conditions.
7) Control. Part of the manpower policy implementation will be a system of
manpower control, mainly for cost, productivity and quality.
 3.1.3 Manpower Planning Process
 There are four categories of staff that are important in human
resource planning. These are as follows:
• Existing staff, New recruits, Potential staff, Leavers.
Category Decisions required about

Performance appraisal Training

Existing Staff
Productivity compensation
Deployment Promotion/Career dev’t/
Equal opportunity
Recruitment methods Training
New Recruits Selection procedures Terms of contract
Orientation
Recruitment methods Employee benefits
Potential Staff
Wage/salary levels
Leavers Dismissals for poor Redundancy procedures
performance Labor turnover
Retirements
 Assessing the demand for manpower
• In order to meet the corporate objectives, managers should
estimate the effective demand for manpower.
• Three other questions can be raised at this stage:
• should we train out own staff for selected key posts?
• Should we buy an experienced people from outside?
• How much time is required to staff this operation?
Responsibility Matrix
• The interaction of the WBS and the organizational structure is
represented by a chart called a responsibility matrix or
responsibility chart.
• The responsibility matrix format is shown for one functional
position and one work package. Every work packed identified in
the WBS should appear on the responsibility matrix.
 Manpower planning processes are listed below:
1) Business Plan
2) Manpower Audit
3) Job Analysis 
• The job identification its title, including the code number, if any
• Distinctive characteristics of the job. Its location; setting; supervision; union
jurisdiction. If any, hazards and discomforts.
• Required personnel attribute; experience, training, apprenticeship, physical
strength, coordination or dexterity, physical demands, mental capabilities,
aptitudes, social skills.
4) Job description
5) Job Standards
6) Comparative data collection
7) Permanent employees
8) Employees on site / project site
9)Daily wage employee
10)Project manpower planning & estimation
 General Project Planning Team: Typical Manpower Planning
• Determining expected labor productivity
• Estimating workers requirement for each work package
• Scheduling date-wise, category-wise, project direct labor
• Establishing a construction teams.
• Organizing task forces
• Allocating labor during execution stage
• Monitoring workers productivity at site
• Recording productivity data
• Costing and controlling manpower costs
• Controlling manpower mobilization, distribution & demobilization
• Defining job requirement for key executive and staff appointments
• Assist in recruitment of personnel
• Assist in designing incentive system
• Assist in controlling manpower costs
• Assist in training and induction of manpower
 3.1.4 Performance Appraisal & Reward System
• Performance means the process of carrying out a work,
demonstrating capabilities, to a specific standard, with perfection.
• Appraisal means an assessment of individual-measurable clear
contributions, both qualitatively & quantitatively, in fulfilling a
particular task.
• PA helps to appreciate employee’s strength and to find out the
areas needs improvement that can be supported to facilitate them
to improve their performance continuously.
• It envisages in a formal way the Team Leader and Team Members
Relationship.
• This Relationship itself symbolizes how the individuals experience
the working life and how he/she contributes to the organizational
goals.
Staff appraisal
• While the candidate is progressing with the job, the personnel manager should
continuously conduct a staff appraisal.
• The staff appraisal system is a mechanism for measuring the attitude and
performance of the employee at the work place.
• The main purposes of an appraisal are to:
• Create two-way communication between management and
employees
• Establish the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and try to
build on the strengths or overcome the weaknesses
• Indicate the need for training and staff development
• Generate inputs for human resource planning, especially manpower
planning, career-path planning and succession planning
• Assist managers to determine the future use of an employee, e.g.
whether he/she shall remain in his/ her present job or be
transferred, promoted or dismissed.
Appraisal methods
1) Rating scale. The appraiser has a scale by which he or she can
judge the degree of achievement or non-achievement of the
appraise on a particular factor or issue. The judgments of such
factors are called quantifiers: they reflect the intensity of the
particular judgment involved. For example, the performance
criteria could be:
» Volume of work produced
» Quality of work
» Knowledge of job
» Dependability
» Innovation
» Communication skill
» Teamwork spirit.
» The quantifiers could be: (1) high; (2) medium; (3) low; (4) not acceptable.
2) Ranking. The ranking format is used when the manager wants to
place a number of subordinates in order of merit, usually on their
total ability in the job but sometimes according to a few separate
characteristics.
3) Semantic differential scale. Diagrammatic rating scale is another
means of measuring intensity of judgment and the semantic
differential is the most popular form of this type of scaling. In
this method the appraiser indicates his/her judgment on a seven-
point bipolar scale defined with contrasting adjectives at each
end. It can be best applied when the performance of different
groups on a particular matter needs to be compared. Examples
could be rating good-bad, strong-weak, satisfied-dissatisfied. The
seven-point bipolar scale can be presented in a numerical format,
e.g.
Good _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Bad
3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3
4) The open-ended method. In this method, the appraiser creates a
free discussion environment with the employee to encourage
him/her to express their feelings in their own way. Here, the
manager is expected to write a few sentences about the
subordinate rather than to make ticks in columns. This method has
many varieties, a common one being for the manager to answer
the following four questions about the subordinate.
» What are the employee's strong points in relation to the job?
» What are the employee's weak points in relation to the job?
» What is the employee's promotion potential?
» What are the employee's training needs?
5) Behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS). This is a relatively
recently developed approach which requires the appraiser to select
some aspect of a subordinate's behavior considered by the assessor to
be typical of the appraisee's performance in a certain aspect of a job.
For example, the superior of an employee being assessed under the
heading 'ability to cope with stress' would be asked to complete a
form which begins with the words, 'I would expect this employee to
(behave in the following way)', followed by a list of statements from
which the appraiser must choose. Alongside each statement are a
certain number of points indicating the relative desirability of the
behavior. Among the statements in this example might be:
remain calm and collected 5
become frustrated 4
show irritability 3
act erratically 2
fly off the handle 1
6) Objective outcome. (Management by Objectives (MBO) - is
usually associated with a sophisticated performance appraisal
scheme and rating scale. It requires the appraiser to assess a
tangible outcome of the employee, e.g. the number of units
produced, number of contracts awarded, number of projects
delivered on time, etc. The MBO system may follow the process
outlined below.
• At the outset, the target and objectives of the task must be set
clearly and agreed between staff and management.
• A time span must be set to measure the outcome.
• At the end of the agreed period, the final outcome will be
compared with the target. If targets are achieved, rewards may be
given and then new targets will be set for the subsequent period.
 3.1.4 Manpower recruitment
• Recruitment is engaging people to work in an organization.
• Job Analysis is the process of studying and collecting information
relating to a specific job. Job Analysis is having two parts:
• Job Description: is an organized, factual statement of the
duties and responsibilities of a specific job.
• Job Specification (Person Specification): is a statement
of minimum acceptable human qualities to perform a job
properly.(as listed below)
 3.1.4 Manpower recruitment
• Person Specification for any Right Person, at Right Time for
Right Job
– Physical Qualification - Good health and vigor.
– Mental Qualification - Ability to understand, learn, judge,
adopt and predict.
– Moral Qualification - Energy, firmness, willingness to accept
responsibility, initiative, loyalty, tact, dignity.
– Academic Qualification - Knowledge of one's own field and
ability to work with the techniques of other disciplines.
– Technical Qualification - Expertise in one's own profession.
– Experience Qualification - Performance in the past which a
person is able to analyze,
 Steps in Recruitment
1) Job Advertisement
• Communication to Employment Exchanges
• Notice Board display
• Voluntary Applications
• Press Notification
• Placement Agencies
2) Applications Screening
• A process of selecting a set of applications with respect to job
description & job specification
3) Call Letter for written Tests and Interviews
• This has to be prepared clearly mentioning – the position for
which written test & interviews are being conducted, the date,
time & Venue etc.
•  
 Steps in Recruitment
4) Employment offer letter
• It shall be mentioned clearly – The offer, the consideration
(remuneration), the date of joining, Medical fitness and the
mode of acceptance required.
5) Medical Test
• This has to be conducted by the authorized medical officer of
the organization and the medical fitness is with respect to the
position offered in the organization.
6) Joining Report
• It shall contain the location, the department in the
organization, designation, the reporting authority and the time
& date of reporting.
 3.2. Employment contract and Employment Relations
INTRODUCTION
• A contract of employment is an agreement on the employment
conditions made between an employer and an employee. The
agreement can be made orally or in writing and it includes both
express and implied terms.
• According to Ethiopian labour proclamation No 377/2003
 "Employer" means a person or an undertaking that employs
one or more persons.
 "Worker" means a person who has an employment relationship
with an employer.
Ethiopian Labour Proclamation
• This Proclamation may be cited as the "Labour Proclamation No. 377/2003.“
Federal Negarit Gazeta - No. 12 2611 F1ebruary 2004
 Employment contract
 Element of a Contract of Employment
• A contract of employment shall be deemed formed where a person agrees
directly or indirectly to perform work for and under the authority of an
employer for a definite or indefinite period of piece work in return for wage.
• A contract of employment shall be stipulated clearly and in such manner as
that the parties are left with no uncertainty as to their respective rights and
obligations under the terms thereof.
• A contract of employment shall specify the type of employment and place of
work the rate of wages, method of calculation thereof, manner and interval
of payment and duration of the contract.
• A contract of employment shall not be concluded for the performance of
unlawful or immoral activities.
• The contract of employment shall not lay down less favorable conditions for
the employee than those provided for by law, collective agreement or work
rules.
• Contract of Employment made in writing Subject to the
provisions of the relevant law, a written contract of employment
shall specify the following:
 The name and address of the employer;
 The name, age, address and work card number, if any, of the
worker;
 The agreement of the contracting parties made in
accordance with Article 4 Sub-Article (3) of this
 Proclamation; and
 The signature of the contracting parties.