Construction Personnel Management Assignment

Hi

In this post I will be taking up another one of the assignment given by NICMAR faculty for the students pursuing Post Graduate Program in Project Management. I hope this post will clarify some doubts toward the problem.

Assignment

You are a Project Manager on site where work for 3K.m. long Tunnel has been undertaken. The site is remote and takes about 2 days travel to nearest town. Supervisors, Technicians & Skilled Workers are engaged in dangerous / hazardous work. Absenteeism due to sickness, quarrels, drinking are adding to less output of work and chances of accidents on site are increasing. Management has urged to do something so that time targets can be achieved. Discuss how will you tackle the problem and increase the output of the work.

Understanding the problem

It is a typical problem faced at construction site located in remote regions. Both workforce and management slowly become tired with a life of work and no source of entertainment.  It leads to heightened level of frustration among people working in remote areas.  But the case presented here has worsened, possibly due to lack of basic infrastructure i.e. proper housing and healthcare facilities and easy availability of liquor.
Also it is evident that a safety officer is not present at the work site and work force is not kept motivated by the leadership.  As a result the project is losing both quality and time.

Summarizing the main Problems
1. Absenteeism Due To Sickness
2. Absenteeism Due To Quarrels & Drinking
3. Accidents at site
4. Technical problems 

Possible reasons of various problems
· Lack of Manpower Management (or) Planning
· Un-Hygienic surroundings & Temporary Accommodation
· Lack of Medication
· Consumption of Alcohol
· Availability of Alcohol
· Storage of materials
· Roof Spalling
· Water seepage

Needs and Their Fulfillment on Site: -

Lack of Manpower Management (or) Planning
• Prepare a proper schedule of the Project and Assign Resources to each Task i.e. each Activity, Assigning Resources means Identify manpower required for each Task and what is the availability of manpower and how much work has been done till date and how much work is to be done. Identify Type of manpower required i.e. Skilled (or) unskilled.
• If manpower is in adequate try to get more manpower or Try to use the available manpower Fully so that maximum amount of work to complete and try to complete the Urgent woks such that it does not affect our project duration, reschedule the project and updated schedule to head office and inform them weekly work progress so that they can help you to overcome the manpower problem (or),
• Try to motivate the available manpower by giving extra benefits if they complete the project in time. (Or)
• If manpower is very less than required then immediately inform head office so that they can send some more manpower so that the project can run smoothly.

· Suggestion & Recommendation to Management on Manpower Management (or) Planning

·       

Understand the project in all respects and get all details of the projects i.e.
o Site condition,

o contract conditions,

o technical specifications, 

o construction techniques, and 

o time frame.

Working out the labour component in various parameters of the project .by using constants to workout labour requirement Classifying and categorizing labour requirement and various jobs by level of skill, responsibility, nature of work etc. Determine the duration of each job or task at every stage of project.
Estimate the number of manpower required in view of the anticipated of absenteeism and labour turnover and the stability factor.

  Manpower management has some principles to follow that should be known by the project manager and also the management of the company.

After understanding the factors stated above, following principles should be applied 
o Care and skill should be exercised in the selection of employees.
o Introduction to the job should be friendly, skillful and adequate.
o Each employee should be made to feel that his efforts are really appreciated.
o Consideration should be given to the effect that each rule and instruction may have on the feelings of employees.
o Employees should have apart in planning those things that affect their working conditions.
o Management should be absolutely fair in every policy and every practice.
o Each employee should have a feeling of pride in the importance of his work and his place in the company

Administrative setup

Based on the construction programme and various other norms, the administrative set up is worked out for completion of project.
It is proposed to have two Chief Engineers (Level-1),
o one for head works and
o other for canal & canal structures headed by the Project Manager.

Under the Chief Engineer (Head work) four circle offices will be proposed and under the Chief Engineer (Canal & Canal Structures) three Circle offices will be proposed.
There will also be
o one Director (Administration),
o one Director (Finance),
o one Director (Quality Control) and
o one Director (Technical) under the Project Manager.

There will also be attached Superintending Engineer (Mechanical) under the each Chief Engineer. All these offices will be suitably located for effective monitoring and control over the execution of project.

Un-Hygienic surroundings & Temporary Accommodation 

Before Starting of the project Management has to well plan because this project is long duration so manpower involved will be more it is the one of the preliminary need for the employees & workers.

Suggestion Methods for Hygiene Factors
Management has to well plan for the temporary shelters in such a way that number of workers will be involved in the project and how many shelters are required and for different category of employees will be working at site and different types of shelters should be constructed with different facility what all materials required for construction any how much time required to construct it so that all those thing should be completed before starting of project, Management should built temporary shelters for the workers who will be working at site because the site is at remote area workers cannot be able to say at their home and come for work it is the preliminary requirement for the workers so management has to take extra precautions, A site office also be built with all necessary requirements, drinking water should be good because most of diseases are spread by water so it is important step to taken care by management.

Lack of Medication

Management should send a medical team to site and they should stay there till completion of project. They should be supplied necessary equipments and medical kits so that they can manage any hazardous situation i.e. any sudden accidents they can handle the situation, any epidemic occurred they can over come that situation. By this work will be smoothly progressed and number of workers absenteeism will be reduced. Worker who is sick will be taken care by medical team he will be recovered quickly and he can start doing the work so that manpower problem is solved.

Consumption and Availability of Alcohol

This is the major problem with labour because they drink daily after work so that they get some relief from whole day work and body pains, but management should try to avoid drinking alcohol or try to get them in limited dose so that they have it n just go for sleep if they get it in excess quantities they will be drinking whole night and next day they will be absenteeism and also after excess drinking they start quarreling between themselves it’s a big problem for the project manager while quarreling they may be any accidents that leads to more absenteeism that will also indirectly effects the progress of project. If this quarreling happens regularly then management has to take some precaution steps to handle that problem. Such as try to avoid the availability of alcohol near the site so that the labour cannot consume much alcohol and this problem is solved and the project may continue smoothly 

Storage of Materials
This is also a major problem for such a big project and at remote place materials will be at site well before start of project so store rooms should be properly built well in advance so that it will not create a problem while execution of work for that what all employees required and how many number required should be planned before so that materials are properly handled by this only the cost of project depends.

Roof Spalling
The management should have complete knowledge of what all technical problem may occurs while execution of project and it has to take proper precautions and it should be well planned before so that it would not affect the project duration, what are causes of the problems and how to overcome the problems.
The cause of roof spalling is type of formation of rock, rock with excess of foliations, joint & poor rock mass leads to the rock spalling.

Suggestion & Methods to overcome Roof Spalling Problem
Tunnel should be properly scaling to remove loose rock mass & cement grouting should be done so that the rock will get some extra strength so that it can hold properly it cannot be fallen down easily. Tunnel should be properly provision of steel ribs immediately so that it will be support on the steel rids and work can be progress smoothly and project manager should have all this materials well in advance because these materials are required suddenly.

Water Seepage
The management should have complete knowledge of what all technical problem may occurs while execution of project and it has to take proper precautions and it should be well planned before so that it would not affect the project duration, what are causes of the problems and how to overcome the problems. The cause of water seepage is mainly due to the discontinuous rock formation, Ground water table height etc.

Suggestion & Methods to overcome Water Seepage Problem
While designing the tunnel they should provide proper drainage system so that if the water is accumulating in the tunnel it will affect the progress of work, so drainage system should be such that water accumulated should be quickly drained any from working space so that it does not affect the work progress. Or proper grouting should be done so that the rock will get more strength so that it can stop the water seepage into the tunnel. This is the easy method to overcome the seepage problem, the other method to overcome the seepage problem covering the tunnel section with water proofing membranes it will also not allow the water to seepage into the tunnel so that work can be progress smoothly.

Recommendation to Management
Top Management should be more responsible and it should have to properly monitor the progress of work and if any urgent needs at site should be fulfilled as quickly as possible and it should see that the lower and middle management is working properly are not. If any accidents are hazardous situation then top management has to urge to do some help to lower and middle management so that they can overcome the situation they must send some team so that will help them and work will be progress smoothly. Tunnel project is a very large project it will take lot of time to complete the whole project so management has to be well prepared of all the fore coming situations i.e. labors problems, absenteeism etc. Management has to determine the functions of each level of management it should be clear for all the employees and management has to monitor such that each employee is doing his duty properly are not.

                                                                                                              

FUNCTIONS OF TOP MANAGEMENT:
1. Determining the objectives
2. Framing policies & making plans to carryout the objectives & policies.
3. Setting up the organizational framework to conduct the operation as per plans.
4. Gathering the resources needed to put the plans into effect.
5. Controlling the operations through the organization.

           

Middle management is concerned with the task of implementing the policies & plans chalked out by the top management. Middle management consists of departmental heads exercise the usual functions of management in respect of their own departments. They have top plan the operations, issue instructions to their assistants; collect the resources required & control the work of the men under them.

FUNCTIONS OF MIDDLE MANAGEMENT:
1. Understanding the policies framed by top management.
2. Preparing the organizational set-up in their department.
3. Finding out the suitable operative & supervisory personnel & fixing duties & responsibilities to them.
4. Arranging & issuing instructions to the assistants & operatives.
5. Motivating the personnel for higher productivity.
6. Co-operating with other departments for smooth functioning of organizations.
7. Collecting reports, statistical information & other records about the work turned out in the respective departments & forwarding the same to the top management.
8. Recommending to the top management new or revised policies for their departments to obtain better performance.

LOWER LEVEL MANAGEMENT   It is the lowest level in the administrative framework & actual operations are performed here. Foremen supervisors assisted by a no of workers & clerks carryout the actual operations as per schedule. Their authority & responsibility is limited & they have to follow the lines drawn by the higher levels of management. The foremen or supervisors are responsible for carrying out work orders allotted to their respective departments. They pass on the instructions of middle management to the workers. The quality of the workmanship & quality of output will depend upon the hard labor, discipline & loyalty of the operating personnel.

Motivation of Employees in Construction Project 

  Motivation is the driving force within individuals that drive them physiologically and psychologically to pursue one or more goals to fulfill their needs or expectations. Motivators may be intrinsic or extrinsic. An example of an intrinsic motivator is the self-fulfillment of a worker as a result of performing a task well.

Motivation of labor in Construction Project 

Construction labor can be motivated. This is important because dwindling productivity is a major problem confronting construction today. Productivity has decreased every year for the past decade, in part because of increasing design complexity, more rigorous federal and state regulations and socio-economic changes affecting the work force. Our findings indicate that a highly motivated workforce enhances productivity and project effectiveness. In construction, the work itself— that is, the building of a structure for all to behold is a key motivator for all levels of management and the work force. Therefore, a well-planned project seems to be the first — and most important — step to achieve good productivity. Unfortunately, on large industrial projects, craftsmen often receive only minimal amounts of information about their work. Duplication of effort, numerous modifications to plans, and schedules that consistently slip makes it difficult to maintain a motivated workforce. On large power plant projects, changes in design and problems with material availability are considered the major demotivating factors. With effective pre-planning, the availability of materials will be checked before workers are assigned to an area so workers do not start in one location only to have to be shifted to another location. Care in this respect should improve worker motivation and productivity and help promote a high level of accomplishment. Most foremen and craftsmen take considerable pride in the work they do. Having to rip out their work and redo it can be extremely discomforting. In fact, if it is extensive, redoing parts of a project may be the worst demotivator of all. Craftsmen view overcrowded conditions and crew interference due to extensive rework as demotivating. Worse, such problems can create hostile feelings as a result of the frustration. Design standardization can help to minimize rework and improve morale.

Motivational programs 

  Although some unique motivational programs were found, the vast majority can be grouped into five primary categories: goal setting, incentives, positive reinforcement (i.e., recognition for a job well done), worker participation, and work facilitation. The following presents a dissertation on each of the five categories discussing first their use in other industries and then their application to construction.

Absenteeism and Turnover
The Department of Energy study indicated that the absenteeism and turnover are a relatively minor concern to workmen. Still, they can have a major impact on total project productivity. High rates of absenteeism are a concern, however, to individuals who had to carry extra workloads to compensate for missing crewmembers. The low job satisfaction resulted in high absence from work and high turnover. Thus absenteeism and turnover can be viewed as effects of motivational Activities or demotivational concerns. The cost of motivational programs is often justified by the reduced absenteeism and turnover.

For example, the cost of M2 group Engineering Pvt Ltd. Big Designing & Construction Company On eight projects has been more than paid for by the reduction in absenteeism and the reduced costs associated with hiring fewer workmen. Director indicated that it required some amount per employee to process paper work plus two to three weeks of each new employee's time to learn the job. Again, the figures on attendance and turnover measure the motivational effort that is financially justified. Moreover, awards for good records are perhaps the most effective method to decrease absenteeism.

Bibliography: -

Management in organization by Koontz and Odoneal, McGraw Hill Publication