Introduction
Valuable outcomes are some of the most important factors that have to be considered during the formulation of a particular project for a client. A project manager should focus on various objectives and strategies that are directly related to a project to find out specific skills and knowledge to use to attain the desired measures of value from it. Therefore, value is a subjective concept that has to be assessed carefully depending on circumstances surrounding a task that needs to be undertaken.
The value management project has exposed students to various methods and practices used by professionals to accomplish different tasks in a project successfully. One of the course guidelines requires students to form groups to enable them to share knowledge on various issues that are related to value management in diverse professional settings. For a student to be eligible for grading in the value management class, he or she is expected to undertake a sample project for an Old Cross Community Fitness Centre. The essay’s main intention is to analyse value management plans that will be used by the students’ team to embark on this task. The group will conduct a review of various published sources to uncover important knowledge related to value management processes. The author will discuss the background of this concept to find out how various industrial contexts apply it to different locations. Additionally, the author will analyze other factors that are important to a project’s successful execution, such as methods, tools, and timelines.
Background of Value Management
Value management is a principle that is used by project managers to analyse how they can attain high-quality outcomes at a low project cost (Norton & McElligott 1995). It is crucial for a project manager to agree with a client on specific objectives that will guide him before undertaking a particular project (ICE 1996). Therefore, both parties have a responsibility to share information so that they make good decisions that will guide all stakeholders involved to set higher performance parameters (British Standards, 1997). In addition, another definition asserts that value management occurs when project implementers use specific methods and apparatus to assess how to attain the needs of stakeholders from a particular project (Venkataraman & Pinto 2008). The latter allows a value manager to find out how to use available resources to satisfy a client’s expectations (IVM 2010). Therefore, the value management process focuses on potential benefits that are likely to be realised by stakeholders of a particular project and systems which are put in place to ensure such objectives are attained (CIRIA 1995).
Another definition asserts that value management is the relationship between the fulfilment of stakeholders’ necessities and necessary resources that ensure such expectations are actualised (Connaughton & Green 1996). A structural approach definition mainly focuses on the realisation of valuable outcomes using high-quality design and execution methods in a project (BRE 2010). Therefore, problem-solving, collaborative and practical plans which are helpful in executing various projects enable stakeholders to review systems which have been put in place to ensure resources are well utilised.
Benefits
The benefits attributable to the successful completion of a particular project are realizable after conducting a needs assessment analysis. The analysis influences the general design and construction plans responsible for ensuring that the final project serves the purpose it was intended for in the beginning. The Old Cross Fitness Centre Project’s main purpose is to improve the health standards of various people that suffer from different health conditions in the community. It is essential that all important stakeholders in a project have the same vision to help them understand specific requirements that they have to consider to satisfy users’ unique needs (Bowen, Edwards, Catell & Jay 2010). Group members of the value management team understand why they need to be clear about their intentions to ensure they attain good outcomes from different tasks they are doing.
Old Community Fitness Centre Project
Summary and Brief
The project’s location is Newtown Council whose population suffer from different problems, which have made the locality infamous for some of the poorest health rates in England. Three departments in the council that deals with health, leisure and social work have found it appropriate to come up with this project to address the health and fitness needs of people living in Old Cross-section of the town to enable them to benefit from various leisure activities. The project will comprise of the swimming pool, multi-purpose hall, and tennis court, dancing section, health section, staff accommodation quarters and car parking facilities. The estimated cost is 14.28 million pounds, but the amount set aside by financiers of the project is about 9.05 million pounds (OGC 2007). A funding shortfall needs to be addressed to ensure the expectations of all stakeholders are achieved.
Value Management Considerations
The main interventions the group and the author will consider during the life cycle of the project include strategic brief, Project brief, Systems Review, Concept design considerations, detailed analysis and operations. The implementers will perform these interventions in various stages of the life cycle (Male et al. 1998). Consequently, they enable project financiers to use value management processes to make good decisions that guide all parties involved to do more to attain good results. These considerations are presented in the table below:
Value management processes are more effective during the earlier stages of a project’s life cycle, as shown in the figure below (Kelly, Male & Graham 2004; Dallas 2006).
In the diagram above, the Charette point is the most crucial stage where interventions have to be made to safeguard quality outcomes in a particular project. All team members insisted that the project and concept plans lacked clarity, and this made it difficult for them to understand critical functions that are related to the project. In essence, the group suggested that the client redraws the strategic plan to find out additional items that need to be included in the remaining phases of the project. Therefore, the client and project team members do not communicate effectively, and this is detrimental to the success of the project in the long term (Male et al. 1998). The author must address the above situation to ensure the technical aspects of the project are taken more seriously (British Standard 1997).
The project group is likely to experience costs implications: financiers too. Despite the team bringing this to focus, the project implementers have not satisfactorily addressed the costs surge. The Council had earlier stated that the project might face financial constraints too which shows that all strategic plans that stipulate how the project will be carried out have not been analysed by its financiers (Kelly, Male & Graham 2004). The project team has decided to advise the council to find out ways of improving the whole project plan to iron out any differences that might affect its successful completion.
Value Management Process
Value management allows a group of people working on a project to use effective decision-making approaches to develop projects, which satisfy the needs of end-users. Therefore, systems and procedures, which are used to execute a project, must focus on strategic plans at the formulation stage for the execution stage and the outcome to be achieved. The whole group encouraged the client to look at ways of improving specific deliverables that were part of the project’s life cycle. The author advised the client to assess specific concerns, functions and the desired outcomes to enable all stakeholders to formulate an appropriate plan of action (Dallas 2006). One of the issues that the author brought up is that the group had only advised the client on one factor, yet there were many other factors, which the project team needed to address. The group had adopted this system to ensure all stakeholders understand relevant phases of the project; how they were going to enable the main client and other stakeholders attain valuable results.
Understanding Project Direction and Analysis Phase
This phase focused on compiling important information to ensure the group understood strategic goals that would ensure the attainment of all expectations that were related to the project. All this information is important because it allows stakeholders to agree on measures, standards to be used, costs to be incurred and other risks that are likely to occur during the life cycle (Shen & Liu 2003). Therefore, information, which is compiled in the beginning, determines the specific agenda and equips a project manager with all vital resources he needs to develop an acceptable working plan (Younker 2003). In addition, all team members need to make good decisions using available information to help them formulate important priorities. This will enable them to focus on ensuring essential phases of the project are well structured so that intended results are actualised in the end.
More importantly, project team members in conjunction with stakeholders can conduct constant information reviews to make stakeholders aware about specific phases, which have been accomplished, and the timelines in which the remaining phases can be completed. The project team members discussed various factors related to project schematic plans, a chain of command, client specifications and the skills that were required for a variety of tasks (Kelly & Male 1993). The author notes that the main issue that to consider at this stage is the ability of a project leader to coordinate various processes to ensure the working plan moves in a positive direction without any unnecessary delays (SAVE International 2007). As a result, all members of the team will be in a position to find out problems that may affect the completion of the project within the set timelines to meet the expectations of all stakeholders. Therefore, the main activities to outline at this stage will comprise of interviews, tours of the site, review of various documents and setting timelines within which to complete various processes.
Compiling Information and Analysis of Files
The group felt that they needed to gather more data before undertaking a value management study to help the value manager and other members to improve their understanding of major factors that were directly linked to the project. Therefore, all group members understood that the project manager had to improve the way he communicated with the custodians of information that was important for the successful execution of the project. They had decided that after obtaining the information required, all members would be given the details to make them well prepared for the next phase of the project.
Interview
All members of the team insisted that they needed to conduct interviews to clarify plans, which had been set by stakeholders and their agenda. The author chose a facilitator to interview various stakeholders to find out their objectives, including how to achieve them. Some of the important stakeholders were representatives of NHS, Local Council Health Department and local football clubs. There was also a fitness expert and a police constable, on the list of prospective interviewees (Ellis, Wood & Keel 2005). The group members noted that the interviews would aid the value manager to make better decisions to satisfy the expectations of all stakeholders who were involved in the project. The author added that the group should expect the facilitator to find out strategic and technical factors that would be critical to the success of the project to ensure all team members understood specific sacrifices they needed to make to attain good results (Woller 2005).
In addition, interviews, the group theorized would be used to assess the levels of commitment of all important stakeholders and to find out if they are willing to offer support to ensure good outcomes are achieved in the end. The group set targets for the facilitator that required him to come up with a checklist that would guide him on various factors he needed to confirm from stakeholders to assess their dedication to the project. The checklist used addressed issues such as the surrounding community’s perceptions of the project. Therefore, the facilitator is required to use a checklist that addresses issues such as perceptions of the surrounding community towards the project, timelines to be observed, competencies required and resource constraints (Male & Kelly 2004).
Visit the Site
Not all group members considered visiting the site even though it is an important component of any value management study. A site visit helps the value management team to find out specific geographical as well as climatic factors that may affect the way it is carried out (Norton & McElligott 1995). An alternative to the visit would be photographs of the site to enable all team members to understand topographical conditions that are likely to affect the way the project will be undertaken. The author did not agree with the latter option preferring the former.
Expectations of users
A project must conform to users’ expectations to ensure it serves their needs well after completion. Therefore, the group members expected the value manager to organise meetings with different community members to find out what they felt towards the project and how to address them.
Time to be Spent on Project Direction and Analysis Phase
Although the group did not discuss the duration of this phase, it projected the time to be spent on this phase will be about fifteen to twenty days. Additionally, a hiatus period of two weeks will separate this phase with the workshop phase to ensure all plans are established to avoid any delays the group decided. The two-week period will enable the team to gather more information, analyse documents and participate in other activities that are crucial to the success of the project in the end. The first stage of the workshop phase will last for an estimated 10 to 15 days and will involve interviews, analysis of gathered data and a physical visit to the site (Bolton 2005). A facilitator will be required to vet all people that will be attending to find out how they are going to contribute to the process.
Workshop
The author wrote down the main issues that the workshop would address in this phase, which included various objectives that will be achieved by important stakeholders in the project. The main objectives that the author decided to give a lot of emphases included:
- The best way of analysing and managing issues directly related to the project.
- Effective ways of satisfying all stakeholders to make them contented.
- Setting appropriate evaluation standards for the project is a consideration.
- We are identifying uses of the fitness centre to the community.
- Identifying other alternatives to use to ensure the facility runs effectively.
- Setting measures to be used by all parties involved to find out how various needs can be satisfied.
- To come up with an action plan for various activities that will guide the project.
The workshop will be done in an isolated location to enable team members and other participants to discuss different agendas that affect its execution. The author contributed that, if possible, the project will be carried out within two days to ensure resolutions, which will be formulated, do not delay. The agenda to discuss and other important factors that are directly related to the project will be explained further in other sections.
Workshop Participants
The workshop, the group decided, would comprise of representatives from bodies that are funding the project. These include Newtown Council CEO, Medical Officer, Leisure Centre Employee, Housing Director, Leisure and Recreation Director, Head Architect, Head Contracting Engineer and other important stakeholders. The group decided to draw participants from different fields of practice to ensure the value management team represents the interests of all stakeholders in the community. The author thought it would be fit that the number of team members does not exceed fifteen people to improve decision-making processes that are crucial for the success of the project (Male et al. 1998). Since they will be drawn from various financing bodies, representatives will contribute positive ideas to the value management process to ensure it achieves positive results within the set timelines. The value management study is crucial because it will help the council to reduce high costs, which may affect the project’s long-term viability. More importantly, it is important for the value management study to avoid any issues that may create conflicts of interests between all parties involved, thereby affecting the integrity of the process negatively.
The group assessed the support of the top management. The members noted that the support would help the workshop to move in a positive direction because all members will be in a position to adopt various resolutions quickly without any delays (Norton & McElligott 1995). In addition, findings the group made from the value management study revealed that contributions by the chief executive officer would be beneficial to the success of the study. Therefore, the inclusion of the chief executive officer would go a long way to assist all participants in understanding sacrifices they need to make, the author asserted. As a result, they will focus more on important issues that are directly related to the project to ensure good outcomes are realised from the process. Consequently, the group will draw up appropriate proposals beneficial to the completion of the study. The involvement of the architect, cost consultant and project engineers will provide valuable insight into the concept proposed because all stakeholders will be in a position to understand specific issues, which are involved. Lastly, integration of the team will help them to identify specific needs that need to be addressed by the project.
The group decided that all participants that will be invited to the workshop must have a general idea about specific needs that will be satisfied through the project. All of them agreed that the fitness centre would help people living in Old Cross to improve their health and therefore, community representatives should be included in the study as well. The Community Medical Officer has interacted with people in Old Cross. Hence, the officer is in a position to deliberate issues that affect the community effectively in the study. Moreover, the medical officer will be able to give valuable healthcare perspectives that encourage the local council to set up a fitness centre to serve Old Cross residents, the group noted. The officer will be able to make important contributions that will be beneficial to the long-term success of the project. All participants should rely on the input of the medical officer during brainstorming sessions to enable them to attain positive results from the project. The author noted that the latter would help them to be more creative in coming up with different types of solutions that can enable the project to proceed properly.
Participants
The group decided that the value team should have people that are willing to work together as a cohesive unit that has a unity of purpose. Cohesiveness, the author noted, would enable all members to assess specific skills required to undertake specific functions in the study so that good outcomes can be realised. In addition, the group decided, professionals to be used in the study should have different skills and competencies to ensure a comprehensive review of all important factors that are related to the project. These professionals must go through rigorous procedures to test their ability to perform various functions as outlined in the project charter, the author inputted (Dell’Isola 1997). This approach will be used to ensure that only individuals who are certified by relevant professional bodies are allowed to work on the project to safeguard the health and safety of users of the facility in future. Some of the professionals that must be present during the study include:
- A structural engineer who will consult with the architect to address pertinent design features.
- An experienced contractor will be used to find out if the system used is appropriate for the long-term usage patterns of the facility.
- A facility manager and service engineer will help in formulating appropriate quality standards to be used to guide the project manager in his work.
- The service engineer will also be in a position to propose the appropriate spatial design to be adopted to improve the experience of users who will be visiting regularly.
- A quantity surveyor is needed to estimate the types of materials to be used, the cost and probable expense variations during the lifecycle of the project.
The project manager will work closely with the value manager to coordinate relations between different members so that they develop an appropriate plan of action that will be followed during the execution of the project.
Workshop Period and Main Agenda
The group decided the project team would discuss the agenda for the workshop within two days. Additionally, the workshop will be highlighted by the size of the project, difficulties to be experienced, specific phase, and costs likely to be incurred during the lifecycle of a project. However, the author noted that the fitness project is likely to be less complex, and it will not need a lot of time to execute it. Therefore, it would be important for all participants to finish it within two and a half days, depending on techniques to be used for different activities. In the first day, the team will conduct three workshops while the second day will be mainly used to conduct the remaining three workshops (Male et al. 1998). In the first day, participants can choose to discuss project drivers, analysis of functional space, and coming up with a diagram that explains the main strategic functions. On the second day, participants can decide to assess various proposals made and other ideas, which can be developed to ensure the project attains good results, the group agreed.
Client Value Considerations
The approach used needs to encourage all participants to find out specific issues that affect the manner in which clients understand various issues that are directly related to the project. Therefore, the group noted, representatives need to make all participants aware of expectations of clients as reflected by the needs they intend to satisfy after the project has been completed (Gronqvist 2012). The author reasoned that relevant officials from the council needed to liaise with the architect and value manager to clarify objectives that would guide the project and specific timelines within which to achieve the objectives. In addition, it would be important for them to brief other members about values that need to be taken into account because of their experienced knowledge of important systems that are related to the project. This will ensure that the project manager understands what he is required to do while executing the project plan to ensure he comes up with a final design that is acceptable to different stakeholders.
Analysis of Issues
The group decided that all people involved needed to set priorities that would guide the manner in which they address specific issues. This will help them to understand how to navigate environmental issues, financing, political factors and the performance of various key guidelines that are directly related to the project. In addition, the author noted, it is important for all participants to understand other important client values that may influence the way they carry out the study to help them achieve good results. Therefore, all participants need to exercise good judgment to make them show other people in the community what the project is all about and the real details that influence its conception. Understanding details, the group noted, will help all parties involved to settle important factors that are directly related to the study, which are critical for its success.
Function Analysis System Technique
Members in the value management team encouraged the council to use this method, but they did not give additional proposals on how this method was going to benefit the fitness centre. The method, the author, inputted, would be used to ensure all parties involved in the construction of the fitness centre understand the goals, which the council has set, and how to attain them (Spaulding et al. 2005). In addition, all members need to understand specific functions that are crucial to the success of the project so that they understand primary goals that need to be satisfied to conform to end-users’ expectations. As a result, they will be in a position to come up with logical interpretations that influence their thinking to make them attain good results.
Analysis of Functional Space
The group decided that the workshop would focus on the manner in which specific elements of the design adopted can be managed to ensure operations in the final structure move on smoothly. The author reiterated that spatial designs will be taken into account to ensure movements of people within and outside the structure is done in an effective manner. In addition, other factors that are related to spatial design such as connections between different sections of the structure, arrangements of important equipment and the location of additional facilities will be taken into consideration (Al-Yousefi 2010). According to the author, this will ensure it satisfies the needs of all users who may be interested in coming to the building for various reasons. Additionally, the approach will enable the value management team to find out ways of managing high costs that may hamper the successful completion of the project.
Other factors that were taken into consideration by the group involving the functional space designs to be used in the project involved the set up of additional infrastructures, which are crucial to the operations of the fitness centre. The group members insisted that the design should take into consideration the manner in which the centre will be connected to the electric grid without jeopardising other general functions of the facility. They also insisted that other amenities such as areas of relaxation, the lighting systems to be used and emergency exits had to be included in the final plan to ensure the fitness centre was suitable for a variety of usage patterns (Norton & McElligott 1995).
Innovation Segment
The group looked into ways to come up with other ideas, which may enable the project to be done differently in this segment. The architect’s previous design had not been subjected to thorough scrutiny by members of the team and therefore, this period was a good opportunity for them to explore other creative ideas that could be added to the process. This required both parties to brainstorm to help them look at the proposed design critically so that they could propose different types of ideas to guide the manner in which the project was going to proceed. Therefore, this approach helps members of a team to reflect on other solutions that they can propose to increase the value of a project in the eyes of its users. During this stage group, members also discussed other efficient working systems to use to ensure the project does not delay.
The use of more efficient technologies was discussed by all participants in the study to ensure that all activities that were crucial to the successful completion of the project will be finished on time. Members agreed that the local council needed to purchase and lease efficient machinery to increase the output realised from different work processes that are directly related to the project. In addition, the group members insisted that the project manager should use specialisation as the main criteria to divide various tasks to be performed by the teams that will be working under him to ensure they move faster in their duties (Kelly, Male & Graham 2004). Other members proposed that the normal working day should be extended from eight hours to twelve hours. They felt that this would increase the level of output attained by construction teams on the project. However, some members, including the author, opposed this suggestion arguing that it will be going against the set labour laws, which may have a negative effect on the completion of the project within the set timelines.
Evaluation Segment
During this stage, group members were able to vet different ideas that were reached upon previously and find out how they can be utilised. One of the most common methods used to evaluate the good ideas from the rest is the use of evaluation matrices. The method selects favourable ideas based on their viability, cost, practicality and if they are acceptable to clients or not. The remaining ideas, which do not satisfy these criteria, are likely to be dropped because they do not add value to a project. The process of sorting ideas may be done more than once to ensure acceptable alternatives are agreed upon by all members of a value team to avoid any problems. Thereafter, all members are able to find out project specifications, which need to be used to increase its value to a client (Male et al. 1998).
After the selection of ideas has been done, group members will find out functional conditions, which will guide the project manager and his team to execute the project. This will form part of the project’s mission, which will make all parties that have a key interest in the completion of the project to know the specific technical factors that will be used to complete it, the author noted. The author notes that other alternatives to the project will need to be looked into to find out if they are going to affect the final technical requirements that are adopted for the project. As a result, all stakeholders will come up with better ways of understanding the mission of the project and the long-term value it is likely to give to users who will mainly depend on it. The group decided that all findings of the value management team should be presented to senior officials who make important decisions that are directly related to the project. However, the author was against the latter proposition.
Development Segment
During this stage, members are able to discuss the appropriateness of various proposed ideas that have an impact on the development of the project. This segment involves issues related to cost assessments, convenience of users, quality parameters, life cycle viability and evaluation of different types of risks. This also involves other factors such as long-term sustainability and additional design features that attract different users to ensure a project attains high value perceptions. The group theorized that all other factors that have to be taken into account involve the manner in which ideas will be developed in the project to ensure they contribute positively to valuable outcomes set in the beginning. Therefore, the group members decided that key processes could be conducted even when the workshop is over to minimise unforeseen delays that affect the project negatively. The author added that this might allow members enough time to evaluate different issues that are directly related to a project and how they can be resolved.
This phase also deals with future risks that may affect the completion of a project negatively (Kelly, Male & Graham 2004). The group members to address different types of risks formulated an effective risk mitigation strategy. Some of the risks, which were discussed, included; labour unrest, natural calamities such as heavy storms, floods, and theft. The author proposed appropriate strategies to help the project manager and his team to deal with these pertinent issues to avoid any significant harm that was likely to happen to the project. Therefore, all participants in the study agreed to extend timelines that had been set to allow the project manager and his team to work overtime to complete the project.
Action Plan
The action plan focuses on the final evaluation of resolutions made by various participants in the workshop. This entails formulating specific actions to be followed to ensure that ideas, which have been agreed upon, can be implemented. At this stage, participants will focus on the timelines set to find out how they are appropriate for tasks that will be performed. They will also look at other factors, which have been overlooked in the past to find out how they can be addressed to ensure all project deliverables are achieved within the stipulated timelines. The group decided that all final resolutions reached would be compiled and presented to the local council so that officials can act on them within the shortest time possible. The action plan will also detail other important resolutions made from the value management study including how they are going to influence the course of the project going forward (Male et al. 2007). The author proposed that the deadlines of various activities that need to be accomplished in the project be taken into account by the action plan too. The group members agreed.
The action plan is a critical element of any project that needs to be taken seriously. The duration of each activity must be well defined by the action plan to ensure the project manager does not fall behind the set timelines that he is required to adhere to for the project to succeed. Therefore, group members proposed a working schedule after consulting with the architect, contracting engineer, and the project manager, which was in line with the overall expectations of the client. Newtown council officials also recommended that all professionals that were going to work on the project undergo thorough checks to determine their competency to perform different tasks. As a result, the group members would dictate upon council officials and project implementers forecast schedules including specific valuable outcomes that were likely to be realised after the project was completed.
Implementation Workshop
The implementation workshop is imperative because it ensures that recommendations which were made from previous meetings are presented to the client the group agreed. The author noted that this needed to be done in three weeks after the end of the workshop to allow all participants a chance to clarify findings made from the value management study. As a result, the implementation workshop enables the client to find out the next course of action that will ensure a project does not lag behind its schedule. Therefore, all participants will find out resources that need to be used to ensure the project is accomplished on time and within the proposed budget (Al-Yousefi 2010).
In essence, the implementation team can forecast and make important plans that are directly related to the project to ensure the budget estimates are kept low the group concludes. Other important factors such as the changing lifestyles in the community, external factors that are related to the external environment, and skills required to accomplish the project have to be taken into account. The group also came up with other recommendations that outlined the manner in which various key activities related to the project are going to be done to achieve the set objectives. Participants that would be involved in the formulation of recommendations during the value management study can be consulted to be part of the team that comes up with an appropriate format for implementing them, the author suggested.
Presentation
During this stage, information, which has been compiled from the value management study, is presented to clients to make them understand specific resolutions including how they are going to affect the project going forward. According to the author, this allows the clients to understand the rationale that influenced participants to come up with various conclusions regarding the manner in which the project is going to be executed. The presentation process, the group agreed, would be used to make Newtown council officials understand all specific steps that have been undertaken to ensure the project succeeds within the stipulated time (Male et al. 1998). The group noted that that would allow the council to use its regulatory powers to create a favourable environment that would enables the project manager and his team of professionals to start working on the project. Consequently, this will ensure that important steps are taken to execute the project. More importantly, results and other ideas that are important to the project can also be taken into account to ensure it succeeds.
In addition, the value management team can use the occasion to justify other additions that have been made to the action plan and how they are going to improve the value of the project in the end, the group agreed. This would allow the council to develop its own internal controls to look critically at recommendations and findings contained in the final proposal. The author added that if necessary, officials might propose some changes to be made to ensure they conform to prevailing cost constraints. Newtown council officials will be made aware of the implications of the recommendations adopted and how they are going to affect the running of the organisation in the end the group agreed.
Facilitator
A facilitator who can guide participants on the importance of the workshop is crucial to the success of the value management study. A value manager who has the necessary skills and experience can act as a good facilitator for the project because other participants can coalesce around him to attain positive objectives from the study. He also needs to be present at all meetings to make all members who are involved to see the possibilities that are likely to be achieved through their sacrifices to instil in them virtues of self discipline, sacrifice, and commitment (Nunamaker, Vogel & Potter 1997). A good facilitator serves as a symbol of unity because he is able to encourage participants not to take hard-line positions that may compromise the success of the whole project, the group agreed. He also works tirelessly to ensure all members understand the time limits within which they need to work so that they attain positive results from different activities they are engaged in.
Even though group decision-making processes are beneficial to long-term unity and cohesion, a facilitator must ensure that all members make decisions, which are beneficial to the long-term interests of the clients of the project. In the value management study, one facilitator was used. In some instances, two facilitators help members to achieve various resolutions more quickly because they are able to encourage them to stay focused on the process. Two facilitators are ideal because they can share duties and work for longer periods to ensure all participants achieve positive resolutions that increase the long-term value of a project. In some instances, two facilitators may be helpful to a project because they resolve discussions, which end in stalemates thereby saving a lot of time and money. In this case, there were two facilitators, the author and another group member. All matters that needed resolutions – however few – were decided by the two.
Conclusion
The value management process that was proposed to the Newtown council has many benefits to the project that is going to be constructed in the area. The fitness centre will offer a lot of value to its users after completion because many factors have been taken into account during its construction to ensure it satisfies the needs of all users. Therefore, all community stakeholders will be expected to provide the support that is needed to ensure the facility will serve their needs more effectively. The value management principles, which have been used to guide the project, have focused on technical, social, commercial, and political factors that are crucial to its success. Therefore, this shows that the study, which was carried out through a workshop, was comprehensive and it addressed the needs of various users who have various concerns regarding the suitability of the complete projects for their needs.
The group notes that the life cycle of the project has complex phases, which have to be executed carefully to ensure it achieves the desired levels of success. Important facts, which are directly related to the project, were discussed at length by different stakeholders to find out appropriate methods, which can be used to attain good results. In addition, the group looked at other structural factors that were likely to influence results to be obtained from the project by both the client and main contractors. In effect, this allowed all participants to come up with appropriate recommendations, which responded well to the context that was being addressed.
The orientation and analysis of the project plan allowed the value management team to find out specific risks, problems and opportunities, which the council was likely to experience. This made the group to liaise closely with stakeholders and financiers of the project to find out ways of addressing these issues to limit any negative effects that may be detrimental to its completion. For instance, the client value system was used by key personnel of the project to assess the relevance of some proposals and potential benefits they offered to the client after its completion. This enabled the value manager and the project architect to come up with effective ways of managing expectations of potential beneficiaries of the project. As a result, the main emphasis of the value management study focused on the main purpose, which was to be achieved by participants involved.
The matrix system allowed the group in the study to analyse various issues that had been discussed by participants to come up with important ideas, which would guide the manner in which the process was going to move forward. As a result, the relevance of the project was clarified by a careful assessment of various elements during the value management study. The group also carried out the analysis of spatial functions to find out how they would affect the aesthetics of the fitness centre after its completion. The author also used it to propose efficient ways of utilising space to ensure the final cost incurred would justify the suitability of the facility to end users. More importantly, innovative ideas the group members contributed helped participants to understand valuable factors that needed to be taken care of to ensure the final quality of the facility developed was able to meet the demands of various users who will depend on it in future.
Another important consideration that the group took into account using the value management study was the action plan. The action plan allowed all participants to focus on key uses of the facility including how proposals made during the planning stage would be utilised to achieve better results. Therefore, the group members gave key performance areas a lot of emphasis in their discussions. The action plan also focused on future changes in costs that may affect the successful execution of the project. The group formulated a checklist of key areas of performance that needed to be accomplished to guide the project manager on specific factors he needed to prioritise. More than fourteen participants drawn from different professional backgrounds formed the study team. As a result, the value management study benefited from the input of skilled professionals who contributed new ideas that made it easy for good outcomes to be achieved.
References List
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