Eight Strategic Project Management Skillset for Construction Project Managers

"A man builds a fine house; and now he has a master, and a task for life; he is to furnish, watch, show it, and keep it in repair, the rest of his days." (Ralph Waldo Emerson an American Transcendental Author)

"The best skill of a Construction Project Managers will be to take the vision of a sketch and make it a mission of their project"

The Construction Industry has been around nearly since the beginning of time. The first time a human being built a structure to protect themselves from the climate and wild creatures, a Construction Project Manager was born. From the first shelter to the present day skyscraper buildings, these have been possible in part because of the innovative spirit of the Project Manager

The Construction Industry is made up of five sectors

         a.       Residential

         b.      Commercial

         c.       Heavy Civil

         d.      Industrial

         e.      Environmental

The Construction Project Managers' role in these five sectors differs by one factor, their knowledge of the construction site. There are also differences in the types of equipment, materials, subcontractors and possibly locations that form the resources for each of the different sectors.

Each Construction Project Manager handles different types of building structures in their nature of works. These structures are:-

Residential construction includes individual homes, apartments, condominiums, townhouses, and other housing types.

Commercial construction includes buildings for commerce, trade, and government which involves shopping centers, schools, banks, hospitals, theaters, and government buildings.

Heavy civil construction includes infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railroads, tunnels, airports and Dams

Industrial Construction includes those buildings or structures used for product production, chemical plants, steel mills, oil refineries, manufacturing plants, and pipelines.

Environmental construction has been recently separated from heavy civil and it deals with projects that improve the environment. Some examples are eco-friendly buildings, sanitary sewers, waste management, and clean water plants.

Construction Project Managers follow the same Project Management principles that other field Project Managers use.

Some of their Project Management principles include the following:

1. Plan The Project

2. Draw the Contract With Clients

3. Procure Equipment and Materials

4. Set Project Goals and Achieve them

5. Construct to Fit Project Budget

6. Arbitrate Dispute

7. Communication Expertise

8. Managing Risk

1. Plan The Project - The Construction Project Managers are in-charge of planning the construction Project. Based on which sector they belong to, the Construction Project Managers (CPMs) draw up a plan for the project by keeping in mind the Stakeholders and the required materials for ensuring such a project becomes a reality.

2. Draw the Contract with Clients - The CPMs are responsible for drawing the contract between the organization and the client where the terms and conditions are clearly stated. The contract defines the expectation and constraints in the constructed building according to the client's specification.

3. Procure Equipment and Materials - The CPMs are in-charge of acquiring the necessary equipment and material for the completion of their construction project. The CPMs have to ensure that the requirements are met with high quality equipment and materials. The safety precautions and durability of the structure are completely the responsibility of the CPMs. So it is important that the quality is never compromised in procuring the right and approved materials for the construction project.

4. Set Project Goals and Achieve Them - The CPMs draw up the goals after the project has been approved and a contract has been drawn between the Client and the company. It is the CPMs responsibility to ensure that the project meets it timeline without faltering in the smooth running process. 

5. Construct to Fit Project Budget - Every project works on a budget and it is the CPMs' task to make sure that the Construction Project comes to a successful completion in time and within the drawn out budget during its inception period. The CPMs wear many hats while handling every aspect of the construction project.

6. Arbitrate Dispute - The arbitration of disagreement and dissension fall on the CPMs' platter. It is not only enough that the CPMs' draw a project plan, budget it, and monitor its performance; but he also has to be a dispute settler for any kind of disagreement among his working hard hat team. The CPMs' are accountable for any delay resulting for dissentions among his workers.

7. Communication Expertise - The CPMs' are obliged to keep the Client and the Management well notified in a timely fashion of all the important information related to the construction project. If there is going to be a time lag in the completion of the project or if there is any unexpected reason for the postponement, it must be divvied up at the right time to avoid confusion in the clients' mind about the project.

8. Managing Risk - CPMs' tasks do not stop at just supervising and planning, but extends to find out the risk factors involved in the project. They must be able to make a calculated risk on the project while ensuring that all the safety standards, quality of materials and other essential matters are well researched.

Construction Project Managers (CPMs) have a vital role to play as Project Managers. They use many of the important Project Management rules and concepts in their Construction Project. Getting the PMP Certification would give an extra positive factor to their Project Managerial Skillsets. This Project Managerial Skillsets can be easily applied to their Construction Projects.