10 Responsibilities of a Construction Project Manager

The sign of development is structural construction. In the UK, around 3 millions people are engaged in construction related jobs (10% of population) both in manufacturing and service. According to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, this industry consists of the following elements

However, the works in the construction business are never ending. They have time limits and fixed resources to build on. Construction business is a high risk, high cost, long-term activity that requires good performance to indicate a healthier economy. That’s the place ‘Project Manager’ comes into play. Responsibilities of a construction project manager are not different from a regular PM, but some speciality makes them fit for the task.

A Project Manager VS Construction Project Manager

Before going into the exact point, construction work comes with a construction manager (CM). The CM is an architect or civil engineer in building trades including general construction, plumbing, carpentry and electricity. They supervise day-to-day operations from the pre-construction period through the project wrapping. So, CM is a project manager with a specific set of knowledge.

The role of project manager in construction however starts even before the signing of a contract from initial planning, site selection and analysis, risk analysis, design, budget, procurement, construction and giving the green signal to physical move. Though both CM and PM works till the project punch period, PM supervises the CM keenly to make sure everything.it’s no wonder that a CM can become a PM with experience over time.

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Project Manager: The Body of a Tree

According to APM, the UK project management association, A project is a unique, transient endeavour, undertaken to achieve planned objectives, which could be defined in terms of outputs, outcomes or benefits. A project is usually deemed to be a success if it achieves the objectives according to their acceptance criteria, within an agreed timescale and budget. Time, cost and quality are the building blocks of every project.

Time: scheduling is a collection of techniques used to develop and present schedules that show when work will be performed.

Cost: how are necessary funds acquired and finances managed?

Quality: how will fitness for the purpose of the deliverables and management processes be assured?

Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget.

The key difference between a project manager and a manager is that PMs work in a finite timespan. On the other hand, managers work on infinite or unknown timespan. Project manager has final deliverables within fixed resources and time. Managers are also bound by time but don’t have constraints like PMs. Construction PMs are no different.

10 Responsibilities of a Project Manager in Construction

A construction project manager’s tasks are no different than a regular project manager’s tasks. Project manager roles and responsibilities in construction are important and misconducting a single decision can jeopardise the whole project. Construction project manager job duties are-

1. Planning

Plan to make sure that the work is within the timeframe and budget. You have to ensure the construction is okayed by the government building codes and other regulatory issues. Plan the work breakdown structures carefully and calculate completion periods. A good construction project manager always has a thorough project plan to track the overall progress.

Planning a construction project is one of the main roles of construction project managers. Comprehensive project plan, tracking the progress and effectively communicating the plan with employees and clients are the primary responsibility of a construction project manager. Lack of project planning results in inefficient project completion and thus leads to delay and budgetary issues.

2. Creating Benchmark

Construction project managers create benchmarks to assess the project. Benchmarks are stoppages in the construction project where they evaluate and determine project health. Benchmarking is one of the key skills for construction managers to be concerned of the status of the project at all times.

Benchmarks are handy to evaluate the project performance throughout the time span of the project. You can use it to compare a project’s timeline, budget, and the efficiency to a standard. Without benchmarks, you may find it difficult to accurately understand the timeline of the project and how the budget allocation is progressing.

3. Scheduling

If you want to become a successful Construction Project Manager then always do time management. A realistic timeline and consistent meeting the benchmarking goals can finish a construction project even before the deadline.

You should always prepare the time horizon of every work in progress and future works. Knowledge about different time charts e.g. gantt chart and their real time application is must for an effective construction project manager.

4. Risk Management

Risk management is of two types. Pre-project risk analysis and current-project risk analysis. It is a key skill for a construction project manager to do pre-project risk analysis whether the project is a ‘go/no go’. Current project risk analysis includes employee safety issues, site safety issues, construction element safety issues and economic and geo-political issues.

You should keep the risk factors on the book and take precaution before the occurrence. It may look like a loss of money and resources but in turn it saves the reputation of a company, you and most importantly innocent lives!

5. Managing the Budget

Budget is also a prime constraint to a construction project manager. Planning for a skyscraper means a lot of money on the table. But imperfect budget management could choke at the last two floors of the building. Every work, employee and resource availability comes from the amount of budget allocated to the project. You may properly plan the work structures, employee management and resources but paying less attention to budget may cost extra money than usual or losing the job.

6. Managing Liaison with Stakeholders

Stakeholders are people that affect the project e.g. clients, government, the company, investors, resources suppliers etc. Priority of stakeholder entities may differ from project to project. But a construction project manager must keep liaison with every important stakeholder entity.

7.Resource Optimisation

You are a leader and leaders must know their employees’ capability. One of the main characteristics of a project is its limited resources. So a construction project manager can not use the resources randomly. Correct and optimised distribution of resources are one of the vital construction manager requirements. You must manage availability and exact allocation of resources to the proper section of employees.

8. Managing and Communicating with Employees

It is a hidden but most cutting edge skill and responsibility of a construction project manager. The managing and communicating technique differs from PM to PM but the purpose is to bring everyone under the same umbrella. If you constantly communicate with employees but never let them take full charge you are a born PM. Sometimes motivation is the weapon, sometimes ruthless words. But whatever it is, managing the staff and engaging them in the project is all a construction project manager does.

9. Project Appraisal

Projects are created not assigned. But you have to check the feasibility of the project before committing resources to it. Normally construction project managers analyse economic, financial, market, technical feasibility and management competency to validate a project.

10. Periodic Report on the Work Progress

It is closely related to benchmark management as reports are submitted and reviewed on periods. It makes the project lively and dynamic. It is one of the key responsibilities of a construction project manager.

Closing Note

While construction project managers may fill several roles within each specific project, their responsibilities are key to success in a construction project. A construction project manager helps employees effectively work together to create a great final product. The manager is the leader of the project, but by no means it is a job that can be done alone. Through proper teamwork, communication, budget management, resource management, and planning, a project can turn out more than successful. It takes a great team mentality in the construction business to make something great, but it also takes a great manager to direct everyone towards a successful project.