The 5 Goals of a Project Manager

As a Project Manager, you need to manage people, money, suppliers, equipment—the list is never ending. The trick is to be focused. Set yourself 5 personal goals to achieve. If you can meet these simple goals for each project, then you will achieve total success. So read on, to learn…

The 5 Goals of a Project Manager

These goals are generic to all industries and all types of projects. Regardless of your level of experience in project management, set these 5 goals for every project you manage.

Goal 1: To finish on time

This is the oldest but trickiest goal in the book. It’s the most difficult because the requirements often change during the project and the schedule was probably optimistic in the first place.

To succeed, you need to manage your scope very carefully. Implement a change control process so that any changes to the scope are properly managed.

Always keep your plan up to date, recording actual vs. planned progress. Identify any deviations from plan and fix them quickly.

Goal 2: To finish under budget

To make sure that your project costs don’t spiral, you need to set a project budget at the start to compare against. Include in this budget, all of the types of project costs that will accrue, whether they are to do with people, equipment, suppliers or materials. Then work out how much each task in your plan is going to cost to complete and track any deviations from this plan.

Make sure that if you over-spend on some tasks, that you under-spend on others. In this way, you can control your spend and deliver under budget.

Goal 3: To meet the requirements

The goal here is to meet the requirements that were set for the project at the start. Whether the requirements were to install a new IT system, build a bridge or implement new processes, your project needs to produce solutions which meet these requirements 100%.

The trick here is to make sure that you have a detailed enough set of requirements at the beginning. If they are ambiguous in any way, then what was initially seen as a small piece of work could become huge, taking up valuable time and resources to complete.

Goal 4: To keep customers happy

You could finish your project on time, under budget and have met 100% of the requirements—but still have unhappy customers. This is usually because their expectations have changed since the project started and have not been properly managed.

To ensure that your project sponsor, customer and other stakeholders are happy at the end of your project, you need to manage their expectations carefully. Make sure you always keep them properly informed of progress. “Keep it real” by giving them a crystal clear view of progress to date. Let them voice their concerns or ideas regularly. Tell them upfront when you can’t deliver on time, or when a change needs to be made. Openness and honesty are always the best tools for setting customer expectations.

Goal 5: To ensure a happy team

If you can do all of this with a happy team, then you’ll be more than willing to do it all again for the next project. And that’s how your staff will feel also. Staff satisfaction is critical to your project’s success.

So keep your team happy by rewarding and recognizing them for their successes. Assign them work that complements their strengths and conduct team building exercises to boost morale. With a happy motivated team, you can achieve anything!

And there you have it. The 5 goals you need to set yourself for every project.

Of course, you should always work smart to achieve these goals more easily.

(Source : http://projectmanagerblog.com/the-5-goals-of-a-project-manager/)

What Young Leaders Need

When young people take on a leadership role for the first time there is much to learn, but they have to perform by delivering success in order to keep their job.

For an organization of any size to put their faith in a young person and ask them to start leading a group shows trust. With that trust, however, has to come some support too. Without it, the most talented of individuals can struggle with the team they lead thereby delivering sub-optimal performance. Gone are the days of giving promising young people experience of leadership regardless of the consequences, they now have to earn their keep.

The support each young leader needs will differ from one to another but there are a number of aspects that ought to be considered. Some of these can be incorporated into a package tailored to individual needs.

Positive Role Models

We all have our own ideas of what is good and bad leadership. When a young person is put in a leadership position for the first time, their own life experiences will be far more restricted than those of a seasoned leader. They will need help in identifying suitable role models for how leadership fits within the organization. Don’t let them ‘work it out for themselves’ because the role models they might unconsciously select may not fit with the culture of the organization at all. All it takes is a brief conversation to start off the thinking.

Help

Anyone who starts a new role, at whatever stage of their career, needs some help to get things moving. This is especially so for young leaders who may be heading a group of people, many of who are older and more experienced than them. One way to achieve this is to ensure there is someone within that group that they can rely on for support, often an experienced colleague, but someone who can be trusted to be impartial with their advice.

Mentoring

Identifying a suitable mentor, someone either within the organization in a more senior position or perhaps within a professional body can be invaluable. Providing the mentor can empathize with the new young leader, having been in similar roles themselves, this can develop into a powerful and long-term relationship that is good for both parties and the organization itself.

Coaching

Akin to mentoring, providing a coach who is able to help the young leader on a one-to-one basis during their introduction to leadership will work as long as the coach is not seen as part of any wider performance management system. This is often why coaches are brought in from outside although there will always be an element of reporting back to senior managers and/or HR. The coaching relationship will need to concentrate on leadership and people management aspects and avoid being drawn into any specific business matters as this may interfere with any mentoring. While in theory there are distinct boundaries between mentoring and coaching, in practice this can be harder to achieve especially when coaches are brought in who have an understanding and experience of the business concerned.

Clear Sponsorship

It must be obvious to all concerned from the outset that the young leader has the overt support of their senior managers and others within the organization. If such senior people have faith in the individual it helps that person’s initial interactions with team members and peers. Praising achievements in public and in private is essential in building the confidence of the young leader and those around them. There is always an element of risk putting anyone into a new position and this is increased when that person is new to the role. Once the decision is made though, senior managers need to accept their responsibility in making it work and that includes accepting that things may not always go according to plan.

Everyone needs support when starting a new job whatever it is. For a young person to be but in a leadership position can be extremely stressful but it is a sign of trust on behalf on the organization. To help ensure the investment pays off it makes absolute sense to provide an appropriate package of support to ensure they swim and don’t sink._CD

(Source : http://proyekindonesia.com/)

FIDIC ...? (2nd)

What is FIDIC?

FIDIC– stands for “Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs Conseils”
Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland
Further information at www.fidic.org

The Parties in a FIDIC Contract

Contracting Authority/ Employer

Contractor – Contract between Employer & Contractor under Red/ Yellow FIDIC

Engineer – Contract between Employer & Engineer

Engineer to administer FIDIC Contract on behalf of Employer

FIDIC Conditions of Contract-Types of Manuals

FIDIC “New Red Book”:

The Conditions of Contract for Construction:

“Which are recommended for building or engineering works designed by the Employer, or by his representative, the Engineer. Under the usual arrangements for this type of contract, the Contractor constructs the works in accordance with a design provided by the Employer. However, the works may include some elements of Contractor – designed, civil, mechanical, electrical and/or construction works”

FIDIC “New Yellow Book”

Conditions of Contract for Plant Design – Build

“Which are recommended for the provision of electrical and mechanical plant, and for the design and execution of building or engineering works. Under the usual arrangements for this type of contract, the Contractor designs and produces, in accordance with the Employer’s Requirements, plant and/or other works; which may include any combination of civil, mechanical, electrical and/or construction works”.

FIDIC “New Silver Book”:

Conditions of Contract for EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction)/ Turnkey Projects

“Which may be suitable for the provision on a turnkey basis of a process or power plant or factory or similar facility, or of an infrastructure project or other type of development, where (i) a higher degree of certainty of firm price and time is required, and (ii) the Contractor takes total responsibility for the design and execution of the project, with little involvement of the Employer. Under the usual arrangements for turnkey projects, the Contractor carries out all engineering, procurement, and construction epc : providing a fully equipped facility, ready for operation at the “turn of a key”.

FIDIC “New Green Book” – the “Mini-Red Book”:

Short Form of Contract.
“Which is recommended for building or engineering works of relatively small capital value. Depending on the type of work and circumstances, this form may also be suitable for contracts of greater value, particularly for relatively simple or repetitive work or work of short duration. Under the usual arrangements for this type of contract the Contractor constructs the works in accordance with a design provided by the Employer or his representative (if any), but this form may also be suitable for a contract which includes, or wholly comprises, Contractor-designed civil, mechanical, electrical and/or construction works.

FIDIC “Pink Book” -Harmonised Conditions of Contract for Constructions

Issued after several Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) agreed certain modifications for some Clauses, for better reflecting their financing principles.
Used for construction and engineering works, designed by the Employer (as in the Red Book)
Allows the Bank to suspend payments to Borrower – Sub-Clauses 2.4, 14.7 and 16.1
Engineer’s Authority may be unilaterally changed by the Employer – Sub-Clause 3.1
Modifications concerning selection and activity of DAB

Basic Principles and Selection of FIDIC Documents – New Red Book

Design primarily undertaken by Employer or his agent
Works are to be re-measured
Employer appoints Engineer to administer contract on his behalf
Engineer has power to vary works, but not change contract
DAB appointed within 28 days of commencement date and has powers to resolve any dispute and change “determinations” of Engineer

Basic Principles and Selection of FIDIC Documents – New Yellow Book

The Employer provides project requirements as defined under item “Employer’s Requirements” (ER)
The “ER” are the basis for the contractor to design and build the project. Errors within the “ER” are the liability of the Employer.
The contract is for a fixed sum and not re-measured.
The contract is administered on behalf of the Employer by the Engineer,
Provision is made for variations by the Engineer.
The general conditions (clauses 1 to 20), except clauses 5 & 12, are principally the same as red book.

Selection of FIDIC Documents – Risk Management

All contracts contain risks for both Contracting Authorities/ Employers and Contractors – There is no risk-free contract
FIDIC attempts to rationalise and allocate responsibilities for main risks
A key requirement is for the Contract Parties to fully understand the FIDIC General and Particular Conditions of Contract that set out their Responsibilities and Risks within a Project
Every risk given to the other party has its cost, no Party assumes a risk for free.

Main differences from previous FIDIC editions

The Engineer is no longer to act impartially, but is acknowledged to be the representative of the Employer
The Contractor is entitled to require the Employer to provide a proof of funds availability
Disputes Adjudication Board (DAB)

(Source : http://civilengineerblog.com/fidic/)

Jalan Tol Menembus Gedung (Great Engineer Idea)

Permasalahan Keterbatasan lahan semakin mengemuka dalam pengerjaan proyek belakangan ini. Namun tentu tak menyurutkan dalam menemukan ide yang luar biasa untuk menyelesaikan masalah-masalah yang terjadi. Gate Tower Building adalah bukti nyata hasil ide yang brilian. “Gate Tower Building”, gedung berlantai 16 di Osaka, Jepang ini terbilang unik karena adanya jalan tol yang menembusnya, tepat di lantai 5 hingga 7. Jalan tol yang menembusnya merupakan jaringan jalan tol sepanjang 293,3 km. Jalan tol ini adalah bagian dari “Hanshin Expressway”, jaringan jalan tol yang menghubungkan Osaka, Kobe dan Kyoto.

Uniknya lagi, penyelenggara jalan tol tersebut merupakan penyewa tetap pada lantai 5 hingga 7 di gedung ini. Pada tahun 1983, pembangunan gedung baru di area gedung unik berada dihentikan oleh pemerintah setempat, dikarenakan rencana pembangunan jalan tol sudah final. Namun, pemilik gedung ini menolak untuk menyerah, ia tidak mau memindahkan gedungnya. Setelah bernegosiasi dengan penyelenggara jalan tol selama 5 tahun, muncullah solusi ini. Pemilik gedung menggunakan tiang penyangga ganda untuk melindungi gedung ini dari getaran, dan juga struktur melingkar di sekeliling bagian yang digunakan untuk ditembus jalan tol. Gedung ini selesai dibangun pada tahun 1992.

(It's Look like Our Country will be Needed this Smart Idea - Cahaya Dunia)

(Sumber : www.proyekindonesia.com)

FIDIC ..??

FIDIC adalah singkatan dari Federation Internationale Des Ingenieurs-Conseils (International Federation of Consulting Engineers) yang berkedudukan di Lausanne, Swiss, dan didirikan dalam tahun 1913 oleh negara-negara Perancis, Belgia dan Swiss. Dalam perkembangannya, FIDIC merupakan perkumpulan dari assosiasi-assosiasi nasional para konsultan (Consulting engineers) seluruh dunia. Dari asalnya sebagai suatu organisasi Eropa, FIDIC mulai berkembang setelah Perang Dunia ke II dengan bergabungnya Inggris pada tahun 1949 disusul Amerika Serikat pada tahun 1958, dan baru pada tahun tujuhpuluhan bergabunglah negara-negara NIC, Newly Industrialized Countries, sehingga FIDIC menjadi organisasi yang berstandar internasional.

Didukung oleh ilmu pengetahuan dan pengalaman professional yang sedemikian luas dari anggota-anggotanya, FIDIC telah menerbitkan berbagai bentuk standar dari dokumen dan persyaratan kontrak, conditions of contract, untuk proyek-proyek pekerjaan sipil (civil engineering construction) sejak 1957 yang secara terus menerus direvisi dan diperbaiki sesuai perkembangan industri konstruksi. Sejak diterbitkannya edisi ke 1 pada tahun 1957, maka edisi ke 2 diterbitkan pada tahun 1969, edisi ke 3 pada tahun 1977 dan edisi ke 4 pada tahun 1987 yang dicetak ulang dengan beberapa amandemen pada tahun 1992.

Pada tahun 1999 telah dikeluarkan edisi ke 1 dari satu dokumen standar yang sama sekali baru tentang persyaratan kontrak untuk pekerjaan konstruksi, yaitu:”Conditions of Contract for Building and Engineering Works Designed by the Employer“. Pada FIDIC tersebut, hal yang penting adalah diterapkannya suatu pembagian risiko yang berimbang antara pihak-pihak yang terkait dalam suatu pembangunan proyek, yaitu bahwa risiko dibebankan kepada pihak yang paling mampu untuk mengendalikan risiko tersebut.
(Sumber : http://manajemenproyekindonesia.com/)